THE thousands of smokers who are littering the streets with a sea of cigarette butts obviously live in some kind of moral parallel universe. Stand on almost any corner in Bournemouth or Poole town centre and you can see them chucking away their dog ends on the pavement after yet another fag break.

Don't these people do any work?

I am convinced if you asked most of them whether it was acceptable to drop a crisp packet or an empty drinks can, they'd say no. So why do they think it's any more acceptable with a cigarette?

Perhaps the rationalisation has something to do with safety in numbers - so many smokers are doing it that it must be okay.

Bournemouth council has launched a high profile campaign to remind offenders that litter is litter and they risk a £75 fine for discarding cigarette butts. All very well, but so far they have only nicked eight people, a paltry figure given how freely available the evidence is. Councils are always moaning about a lack of money yet here's a goldmine just waiting to be exploited. So stop wasting time and get that cash rolling in and the streets cleaned up. You know where to go. The town hall might also like to consider investing some of the revenue in a continental style water cannon - an excellent way to stop groups of smokers constantly blocking the pavements.

  • LEGEND Gerry Anderson of Thunder-birds and Captain Scarlet fame is trying to find an original puppet from another of his hit TV hits, Dick Spanner PI. He hopes Echo readers can help but there's a better option. This is a job for International Rescue, surely. I'm sure I've got the number on one of my many T-Bird videos.