DOZENS of Glasgow smokers have been hit with £50 on-the-spot fines for dropping cigarette ends in the street.

Each week, hundreds of thousands of cigarette butts are dropped in the city centre, causing a huge clean-up headache for council staff.

Now, environmental protection officers have decided to get tough to stop the city being turned into a giant ashtray.

At first, smokers were given just a warning when they dropped their cigarette ends in the street.

However, since October, council staff have issued 60 on-the-spot fines to people who do not put their butts in a bin or take them with them.

One of the latest to be hit is hairdresser Josh McGuire, who operates a salon from Rococo in Great Western Road.

He and colleague Shona Mitchell nipped out for a quick smoke between customers and threw their cigarette ends in the gutter.

Minutes later, they were approached in the shop by two environmental protection officers.

Mr McGuire said: "They identified themselves, said they had witnessed us smoking in the street and asked what we did with the cigarette ends.

"I told them we had put them in the gutter, but we were told we couldn't do that and both of us got an instant £50 fine.

"I was shocked because I thought the first time it happened we would have got a warning. In future I will stand outside with an ashtray because I can't afford to get fined every day."

Environmental protection depute director Tommy McDonald said his staff have issued 60 fines in the past couple of months - two to council employees.

He said: "We are trying to practise what we preach."

New litter bins with ashtrays have appeared in the city centre since smoking in enclosed public places was banned last March.

Mr McDonald added: "We don't want our streets defaced by any sort of litter and that includes cigarettes.

"We have seen an increase in cigarette litter in certain parts of the city and are trying to encourage people to use the specially adapted litter bins or take their litter with them until they find a bin.

"Whether a £50 fine is handed out is at the judgement of the officers, but there are laws against disposing of any type of litter in the street.

"We are trying to encourage people to do their part to keep Glasgow clean, but there are still people who act in an irresponsible manner."