YEAH butt, no butt, yeah butt - cigarette butts could soon replace chewing gum as the scourge of our streets, according to a national survey.

Dorset streets face a sea of butts as smokers banned from smoking indoors by licensees and employers are forced outdoors.

It is something Poole could be first to experience if the town goes ahead with a proposed ban on smoking in enclosed public places.

The town is on the verge of seeking such a bylaw.

But will it lead to unsightly piles of cigarette butts outside pubs, restaurants and places of work?

Discarded butts are now the second highest cause of litter according to charity ENCAMS, which runs the Keep Britain Tidy campaign.

Fag-end litter increased by almost 50 per cent between 1996 and 2004 as more places banned smoking, forcing smokers to congregate on street corners and pavements.

Keep Britain Tidy plans to campaign on the issue.

It claims few employers have provided bins for employees after bringing in a ban.

Poole councillor Peter Adams, who has been at the forefront of the smoking debate in the town, admitted there were no laws currently to force pubs to keep pavements outside their premises clear of litter.

But he said pubs could introduce robust outdoor sand ashtrays, similar to those used in other countries, and would find it cheaper and quicker to sweep up butts rather than constantly emptying and washing ashtrays.

But he feels many smokers will remain on a pub's own premises, such as outside courtyards, and similarly many workers smoking outside their place of work would remain on ground belonging to their employer.

Cllr John Hayter, Bournemouth's cabinet member with responsibility for the environment, said: "Where employees are encouraged to smoke outside there needs to be a form of litter collection."

First published: February 8