City of York Council's Environmental Enforcement chiefs are teaming up with a local hostelry to encourage customers to dispose of their cigarette butts responsibly.

The Red Lion public house on Boroughbridge Road in Upper Poppleton is the first pub to come on board with the council's campaign to crack down on cigarette litter and will be selling portable ashtrays to customers.

The initiative is part of a two week campaign to remind smokers of their responsibilities. The authority was chosen by ENCAMS - formerly the Keep Britain Tidy group - as one of ten councils across the country to run the initiative as part of a national campaign.

The two-week long campaign aims to encourage smokers to think before their drop their cigarette litter, using portable ashtrays to dispose of their butts, rather than dropping them on the ground.

Jackie Armitage, the council's enforcement and environment manager, said: "Cigarette butts are one of the top forms of litter on York's streets and we spend £2m annually on street cleansing.

"We're contacting local businesses, such as pubs and newsagents, to encourage them to stock the portable ashtrays.

"The ashtrays will be available free of charge at the council's receptions until the end of the week and smokers can also pop along to the council-run stall in Parliament Street to pick up their free pouch before Friday."

The council's Street Environment officers will be visiting some of York's largest employers throughout the campaign to ask them to remind their staff on their responsibilities.

More information is available at www.encams.gov.uk or on www.york.gov.uk