Three new cigarette bins have been installed close to Queen’s Medical Centre which aim to encourage smokers to dispose their cigarette ends responsibly.
Despite daily cleaning by Nottingham City Council’s cleaning teams, local residents have raised concerns the amount of litter in the subway next to the hospital.
Dave Halstead, Head of Neighbourhood Operations at Nottingham City Council, criticsed irresponsible smokers who blight the area by dropping cigarette butts on the ground.
However, he hopes the new bins will make a big difference.
He said: “Our Neighbourhood Operations Team in the area has worked with the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust who have kindly agreed to fund the bins.
Cigarette ends are still litter and we hope the new bins will hopefully provide that extra encouragement for smokers to stub it out and bin it.
Community Protection Officers will continue to operate in the area, providing education about cigarette disposal.
If caught dropping litter, smokers face a fine of £75.
Nicky Hill, Director of HR at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We have made great strides in the last year through our work with patients to discourage people from smoking on site, mindful of the impact this has on others.
“We still have some way to go and are working on the next phase of our campaign.
“I hope these new bins will provide smokers with a further opportunity to dispose of their cigarettes properly to prevent litter accumulating outside our hospitals, making the environment as pleasant as possible for everyone.”
