A CAMPAIGN to tackle litter in Halstead has been welcomed.

The scheme involves Braintree Council working with fast food outlets and other businesses to find ways of reducing rubbish.

Educational material and fines of £50, increasing to £75 if not paid within seven days, will also be used to make litterbugs see the error of their ways.

Adnan Ozer, who owns fast food outlet Rose, in Bridge Street, said he would be happy to work with the council on its campaign.

He added: “All the mess round here is made by youngsters.

“On Friday and Saturday night you will see 100 kids aged about 15 running around and most of them are drunk. They just throw their litter on the ground.”

Veronica Harman, manager of Halstead Day Centre, in Bridge Street, said: “We have quite a lot of fast food packaging dumped in our car park over the weekend. We find broken bottles as well as bottles with urine in. It’s disgusting.

“The campaign is very welcome.”

Jess Carter, deputy manager of the Original Factory Shop, also in Bridge Street, said: “We do get lots of youths round the back of the store and we’re always finding beer cans there.”

The council has been nominated as a finalist in the innovation category of the Keep Britain Tidy Awards after its work with businesses in Galleys Corner, Braintree, where littering had been a particular problem.

In Halstead, the council will ask businesses to put anti-litter messages on packaging and encourage them to display campaign messages.

It will also encourage companies to take responsibility for the area in front of their premises and clear it of any food or packaging.

The council is already working on a trial campaign with pubs and betting shops in Halstead regarding smoking-related litter.

Those taking part have been given beer mats, posters and buckets for cigarette butts, carrying campaign messages.

Betting shops have been given posters and pens, and this week enforcement officers have been patrolling the town with the power to hand out fines.