SMOKERS are being encouraged to quit littering the streets in a new campaign to stamp out fag end filth.

The scheme, by Keep Britain Tidy, will be introduced in Huddersfield over the next few days, and will see free cigarette pouches being handed out by Asda supermarket in Bradford Road.

The wallets will be available in trendy prints in a bid to boost their street-cred, and are designed to store tab ends until smokers find a bin.

Peter Gibson, a spokesman for Keep Britain Tidy said: "We have decided to try this approach because the recent ban on smoking in many pubs and workplaces has resulted in an increase of littering on the streets.

"We are concerned for the health of the people of Huddersfield and feel that the pouches offer a practical solution to the problem."

The scheme would also see the distribution of cut-price cigarette bins to be offered to businesses.

He said trials for the scheme in Manchester and Slough had proved successful, with smokers welcoming a neat method of disposing of their tab ends.

A Kirklees Council spokesman said: "We welcome the scheme and believe it to be a good alternative to the problem, which is currently only alleviated by issuing on-the-spot fines."

Local Environmental Quality Minister, Ben Bradshaw said: "There have been significant reductions in the amount of litter on our streets recently.

"That's mainly thanks to the responsible actions of the majority and the efforts of councils in their cleansing regimes.

"However, smoking litter is an area where a minority of environmental rebels continue to flout the law, dirty our streets and cost councils thousands of pounds in clean-up costs."

* Cigarette-related rubbish is Britain's biggest litter problem - having risen by 19% in the last three years.

* Keep Britain Tidy's market researchers quizzed smokers male and female, aged between 21 and 65. Older female respondents felt smoking outside looked "common." They were also the group who dropped the least cigarette ends.

* Some smokers thought cigarettes would biodegrade quickly - but because of their plastic content, some experts reckon they could take 500 years to disappear!

* Smokers said they were bored of preachy messages - as they were always being told to quit fags. They felt a courteous reminder to bin their tab ends would be received more warmly.

* The biggest jump in cigarette-related rubbish has occurred outside offices, warehouses and factories.