The Lord Mayor of Exeter has handed-out free mini cigarette bins on the High Street as part of a commitment to keep the city tidy ahead of the Rugby World Cup.
Cllr Percy Prowse gave the small pouches to smokers in the vicinity of Mcgahey's tobacconist in an effort to deter them from dropping cigarette butts on the ground.
He said: "People are not always near a bin when they finish their cigarette, but they could be fined £75 on-the-spot if they are caught dropping the butt on the ground.
"We want the city to look its best and cleanest in time for the Rugby World Cup. Our street cleaners tell us of the difficulty in picking up cigarette ends, and it takes 10 years for one butt to degrade."
The Lord Mayor was joined by Louise Harvey, Exeter's Street Scene manager and members of the city's tidy group on Wednesday to distribute 100 pouches.
Jodie Howard, 21 from Exeter, said: "It's a brilliant idea because you can carry the pouch around with you. Plus it's free, and we all love free things!"
Brett Edwards, 35, added: "Exeter is a historic city, and it's important to maintain its clean image."
The mini cigarette bins are small re-usable envelopes lined with fireproof material, and can fit easily into a pocket or handbag.
Funding for the 600 pouches has come from the locality budgets of city councillors who will distribute the rest to people living in their respective wards.
Exeter's Sandy Park will host three games in the Rugby World Cup this autumn.
