£50 fines for dropping butts and gum in street

Anyone dropping chewing gum or cigarette butts in the street faces a £50 fine under tough new government plans. The on-the-spot fines would be imposed on litterbugs caught by police or street wardens.

Authorities would be encouraged to issue warnings first, then impose fines on those who refuse to clean up the mess. Giving a false name or address could attract a fine of up to £1,000.

Ministers today confirmed the proposals, outlined in a consultation document by Margaret Beckett's environment department. Rubbish can already lead to a £50 fine, but a legal loophole leaves it unclear whether gum, cigarette ends and matches count as litter.

This has created a postcode lottery where offences are punished in some areas but not others. The new regulation would define explicitly what counts as litter.

Keep Britain Tidy spokesman Peter Gibson said: "We believe the Government is listening." In Britain, 20 million people chew three million packs of gum a day. Cleaning gum off streets costs an estimated £150 million a year.

Smokers, already facing curbs in bars, restaurants and workplaces, are certain to see the proposal as another attack on their habit. But safety campaigners point to the fire risk of discarded cigarette butts.