SMOKERS in the streets of a North-East city are being handed free fireproof pouches to try to persuade them not to leave their dog ends on the ground.

Officials reckon that anything up to a million cigarette butts are left on the streets of Durham City during the course of a year.

For the next week, the city's six-strong team of street wardens will be handing out Stubbi pouches - a reusable pocket-size case that can be used to safely extinguish cigarettes and can then be sealed to lock in the smell.

The city's street cleaners estimate that just under half of all the litter they clear from the pavements is smoking-related, from fag ends to empty cigarette packets, cellophane wrappers, discarded matches and foil.

Over coming days, up to 800 Stubbis, which have already proven successful in other authorities around the country, will be handed out in the city and, from the end of February, they will be available at Asda stores.

Council officials are also talking to local businesses, pubs and supermarkets to see if they would be prepared to stock the pouches.

Wardens will also be warning litter louts that they face a fine of up to £50 for discarding their cigarettes in the street, while three new cigarette bins have been installed in the Market Place.

Last year, Durham won gold at the Britain In Bloom awards and the city's technical support manager Andrew Jackson points out that litter forms a key part of the judging process.

He said: "This campaign is not against smokers, it is about persuading people to deal with their litter properly.

"Smoking-related litter accounts for 40 per cent of all the litter our street teams deal with.

"In Durham we do have a reputation for keeping the city clean, obviously environmental quality features in the Britain in Bloom award, and so cleaning standards are very important to us."