"Cyborg vs Butt" as litter picker targets smokers

Friday 01 June 2018

Self titled 'lone robot-clawed cyborg' Andrew Munro has been walking round the streets of St Peter Port picking up cigarette butts to mark No Tobacco Day.

Along with PC Gary Ashford Mr Munro was aiming to highlight the dangers of dropping cigarette butts on the ground and remind people that it is a criminal offence worthy of a fixed penalty.

Mr Munro started his own group called "Pick It Up Guernsey' around two years ago following a trip to Herm with his family. He said: "I saw a group of school children and one of them dropped a wrapper and it went into the sea. None of the teachers said anything at the time and nor did I and it was a little later I thought that I should start to educate people about littering and set up the group."

Yesterday started at 05:00 for Mr Munro who had been granted a community day by his employer to mark 'World No Tobacco Day' and was wombling though the streets of Guernsey picking up both cigarette butts and other rubbish.

He had the full support of the Guernsey Police including Neighbourhood Policing Officer for St Peter Port, PC Gary Ashford, who re-launched the 'No Ifs, No Butts' campaign last year. He said: "There is definitely more awareness about litter these days and people are quite often embarrassed when I approach them about littering offences."

Pictured: All the butts picked up by Mr Munro

It is a criminal offence to drop cigarette butts and carries a fixed penalty fine of £70. PC Ashford said: "It is mainly people who smoke on the move who tend to litter as they just discard the butt when they are finished. I don't issue many fines, after I have pointed out the offence people tend not to do it again."

Mr Munro said that butts in particular were bad if dropped: "They are not biodegradable and each butt has radioactive Polonium in it, which can seep into our water system."

The group aims to encourage picking up all kinds of litter all year round and has a selection of hi-vis vests, litter pickers and bags for purchase. All proceeds are used in projects. You can borrow litter pickers from Guille-Alles library with your library card.

Pictured main image: Andrew Munro and PC Ashford