York is preparing for a purge on litter louts.

LUCY STEPHENS took to the streets with the city's litter-busters.

IT happens fast, but Karen and Iain's reactions are quick.

A boy appears not to notice dropping a scrunched-up piece of paper on the ground as he strolls along York's Coney Street chatting to his friends, but street environment officers Karen Baddeley and Iain Dunn are on to him at once.

Luckily for the boy, they are only giving him a warning that the council's tough new litter strategy is about to be enforced.

But from Monday, anyone caught dropping litter on public land will be forced to pay a £50 fixed penalty notice within 14 days, or face a fine of up to £2,500 in York Magistrates Court.

As part of a "warning period" before the regulations come into force, City of York Council street environment officers are patrolling streets in the city looking for people dropping litter.

To reinforce the message, they are taking offenders through the full procedure they would face from Monday, including taking down full personal details, which will be kept on file for five years.

Last week, they issued 26 warnings.

Karen says she will be in contact with the school the boy caught dropping litter attends, after he said he had no idea he was committing an offence.

"This will be a success once we get the schools on board," she says.

"It's usually youngsters that get the blame for dropping litter, especially at lunch times, but we've seen lots of young people actually using the bins."

Another young woman does not know she is being watched as she casually stubs out her cigarette on the pavement in the city centre.

As she turns to go, leaving the stubbed cigarette on the ground, Karen and Iain stop her and tell her she has committed an offence.

At first she laughs, but then her face clouds over as the officers take down her personal details.

"Basically, if we see someone smoking or eating out of a packet we keep an eye on them," says Iain.

"At the end of the day, a cigarette is still your property."

"We did have one person who refused to give her name," says Karen. "But we can always call the police."

You have been warned.

Updated: 10:43 Thursday, April 15, 2004