KINSALE Tidy Towns has come up with a novel approach to tackle the scourge of cigarette butts being dumped in planters and flower displays.

Small slate signs reading ‘This is not an ashtray’ have been placed in planted areas to encourage people to dispose of their cigarette butts responsibly, while buckets carry ‘The Butt Stops here’ signage.

Led by Kathleen McHugh, the initiative aims to protect the beautiful planting throughout the town and highlights the huge effort that goes into keeping Kinsale looking welcoming and attractive for locals and visitors.

Cllr Marie O’Sullivan (FG), who owns Salvi’s Café on Pearse Street, said Kinsale Tidy Towns wants to acknowledge the tremendous work that is being carried out by council workers, whose ongoing commitment to maintaining clean streets and public spaces plays a vital role in the appearance of the town.

‘Between the dedication of council staff and the many volunteers involved in planning and maintaining displays, a huge amount of time and care goes into making Kinsale a place everyone can enjoy,’ said Cllr O’Sullivan.

‘It is hoped these gentle reminder signs will encourage greater respect for public spaces and support ongoing efforts to keep the town looking its best.’

Another scourge for volunteers are vape stickers which are usually found on litter bins, with 20 recently found stuck on bins.

They are encouraging people to put the vape stickers onto the litter bins, and not on them.

The volunteer group have also erected signs across the town encouraging people to clean up after themselves and not leave the mess to be cleaned up by someone else.