Ban on street smoking suggested
A Leicestershire council is considering whether smoking should be banned from the streets in a bid to cut littering.
Councillor Nick Rushton from North West Leicestershire District Council said he had received a number of complaints about cigarette ends on the street.
The idea to ban smoking on the districts' street is being discussed but no decisions have yet been made.
The Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco (FOREST) said the ban would not work.
"I am pretty sure nothing will come of this as it has already been tried...and got howled down," FOREST spokesman Simon Clark said.
"I have a lot of sympathy for the argument about excessive cigarette litter...but local authorities need to do much more in terms of providing cigarette bins and we would encourage smokers to use them."
Weekend rubbish
Cllr Rushton said his constituents were concerned about the litter problem.
"I get a lot of people who don't smoke and who don't like litter...such as cigarette ends on the street on a Saturday and Sunday morning when it's been a busy night in the pubs.
"If this litter is a major driver of public dissatisfaction, it's something which could be improved.
"I get equally as many complaints from people who have to walk through crowds of smokers and that's not just at night."
Mr Rushton said he would consult his fellow cabinet members to see how to best resolve the issue.
