A CHEWING-GUM litter-bug will have to fork out £75 after he was hit with a fixed-penalty notice by sharp-eyed enforcement officers.

The man, who has not been named, was spotted by Carmarthenshire county council environmental enforcement officers dropping chewing gum at Cross Hands Business Park and was immediately hit with a penalty notice for littering.

It is only the second fine issued in the county in relation to chewing gum litter.

Failure to pay could lead to prosecution in the magistrates court and a maximum fine of up to £2,500.

Executive Board Member for Environmental and Public Protection Councillor Jim Jones said: “This is the second fine that we have issued specifically for chewing gum litter.

“Our enforcement officers carry out regular patrols across the county but it can be very difficult to catch people in the act.

“Obviously we don’t want to fine people; we would prefer they don’t drop litter in the first place, but if they fail to take notice then we have no choice.”

The council has taken part in a national chewing gum litter campaign, funded by the Chewing Gum Action Group, for the past three years. The aim is to encourage people to put their gum in the bin and remind them that dropping litter is an offence.

Not only is chewing gum litter an eyesore but it can stick to people’s clothes and shoes and it is difficult and costly to clean up - it costs the council approximately £30,000 a year to remove chewing gum from our streets.

Cllr Jones added: “I hope people will take notice of this fine and put their litter in the bin, whether it’s chewing gum or another type of litter. The council is determined to create a cleaner and safer environment for both residents and visitors to Carmarthenshire.”