People who drop rubbish are the focus of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s latest antisocial behaviour campaign.

During March the council’s community safety patrol officers will be stepping up patrols in known litter hotspots and taking a zero tolerance approach to offenders, including issuing fixed penalty tickets, as well as giving residents advice on how to report litter to help keep their communities cleaner.

The campaign will tie in with the Great British Spring Clean,  run by Keep Britain Tidy taking place from Friday 17 March until Sunday 2 April, which encourages individuals or groups to become litter heroes by picking up a bag of litter – or more – in their communities. The council is able to lend litter picking equipment to people wishing to take part.

Litter doesn’t just blight our streets and open spaces, it can be harmful to our wildlife and ecological systems too. Wild animals can suffocate in discarded plastic bags and become entangled in elastic bands. Cigarette filters contain plastic as well as of thousands of chemical ingredients, which can be lethal to aquatic environments.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Partnerships Cllr Jenny Vaux said: “Most people dispose of their litter in a responsible way but there are still those who discard it on the streets without a thought about what will happen to it.

“The council takes a zero-tolerance approach to littering across the borough and this campaign aims to educate and, if necessary, take enforcement action against anyone who does not dispose of their litter considerately.

“We take the lead on keeping the borough clean, but communities can help by signing up to The Great British Spring Clean or by reporting litter to us."

Residents can report litter by visiting the council's website: www.basingstoke.gov.uk/report-litter

People interested in taking part in the Great British Spring Clean can find out more here: www.basingstoke.gov.uk/conservation-events