Cllr. Alan Salter says: “The ‘be part of the team that keeps Sutton clean’ campaign continues to urge people to take responsibility and help keep Sutton clean.”

It costs the council tax payers of Sutton £4m per year to clean litter off the streets and open spaces of the borough.

Clean streets help residents feel happy with their environment and neighbours, and to feel safer. But one nuisance can lead to another, with areas prone to graffiti also suffering from litter and fly-tipping.

A dedicated band of cleaners and inspectors are out every day cleaning up or catching those responsible in the act.

And now we are calling on you to join us and be part of the team that keeps Sutton clean by making sure you bin your litter, clear up after your dog or report graffiti or fly-tipping. We want everyone to take pride in their borough and take part in making it such a great place to live, work and go to school.

Bin it

Cllr. Hamish Pollock says: “In England, we spend £1 billion of taxpayers’ money on picking up the litter that 62 per cent of people drop on our streets, in our parks and on our beaches.”

The litter type that has blighted our country more than any other over the past decade is cigarette litter and that trend continues this year. Almost everywhere in England is now affected by discarded cigarette butts. Research shows that cigarette related litter is found in 82 per cent of litter collected from our streets.

The litter type that has seen the largest increase over the past 12 months is fast food, rising by 6 per cent from 2010/11 to 2011/12. There really is no excuse for dropping cigarette butts, chewing gum, crisp packets or fast food wrappers. If caught in the act you could be hit with an £80 ‘on the spot’ fixed penalty by one of our team of Enforcement Officers.

The message is simple: bin it or recycle it- that way we won’t have to use council tax money to do it.

Scoop it

Failing to clear up after your dog is disgusting and thankfully only the minority of pet owners do it. There’s no excuse, it poses a real health risk, particularly to young people playing in our parks, and there are conveniently placed dog mess bins.

If you are caught in the act, you could be hit with a £50 fixed penalty, or if the case goes to court, a fine of up to £1,000.

Report it

Cllr. Jill Whitehead says; “Fly-tippers are criminals. They charge to remove waste and then dump it in parks and alleys. Be part of the team that keeps Sutton clean by reporting any incidents you see.”

If you are using someone to remove waste it is your responsibility to make sure they are legitimate and taking your waste to a properly licensed site, call the Environment Agency on 03708 506 506 to check.

Graffiti is another issue where we need your help. Report it as soon as it appears so we can remove it. It’s hugely costly to remove; by reporting it you can help us catch the vandals in the act.

Report graffiti, fly-tipping, dog fouling or other issues at www.sutton.gov.uk and select ‘Report It’ in the Do It Online section. If you see one of these crimes being committed, please call the police.

PLEASE Be part of the team that keeps Sutton clean.