The call for residents to report problem hotspots for littering, dog fouling and fly-tipping came as the council agreed to extend the contract of private litter company District Enforcement, which has been told to widen the scope of its enforcement. The company had drawn criticism during its first 12 months for disproportionately targeting cigarette smokers, but has been told by the council it must work to prevent all kinds of littering as well as dog fouling. Coun. Mohammed Iqbal, leader of Pendle Council, said: “We all want Pendle to be a cleaner place to live but we can only achieve this if people get behind us and dispose of their litter sensibly. “Our approach to tackling littering and dog fouling will be one of education and engagement with residents as well as taking enforcement action where necessary. “The District Enforcement contract has been extended for another year and they’ll work with us to help create a litter-free culture. This includes taking the message out to places including schools, retailers, supermarkets and fast food outlets. “The team will also appoint litter champions and support community litter picking events as well as increase their weekly presence in parks and other green spaces across Pendle.” Over the past year the District Enforcers have freed up the council’s in-house Environmental Crime Team to investigate fly tipping and take more environmental criminals to court. As a result 181 people have been fined. In its new contract, District Enforcement Officers will also be responsible for catching people who throw litter from cars and vans. Local people can help by flagging up problem hotspots for littering, dog fouling and fly-tipping on our website - www.pendle.gov.uk/doitonline David Walker, Pendle Council’s Environmental Services Manager, said: “People have complained that District Enforcers focus on cigarette butts. “In fact this is by far the biggest litter problem we have and they caught a staggering 3,295 people throwing cigarette butts on the ground. “They also catch people littering items which can easily be taken home and recycled, with over 100 people caught throwing plastic drinks bottle and cans on the ground. And 40 people were caught throwing food – which is health hazard as it attracts rats.”