CARELESS smokers are counting the cost of the most expensive cigarette of their lives - after being fined up to £100 for dropping their fag ends.

Blackburn with Darwen Council is using new government legislation to prosecute any smokers who are seen discarding their cigarette butts in the borough's streets.

Cigarette stubs and chewing gum are now classed as general litter and anyone found dropping either in a public place is breaking the law and can be prosecuted for littering.

But the new powers have caused anger among smokers who say they have been told that the onus is on them to prove that they didn't drop the litter - rather than the council to prove that they did.

On Thursday, September 14, Carol Ann Turnley, of Burton Street, Rishton, Blackburn, was fined £100 and made to pay £90 costs to the council's legal department and £54 costs to the environment department after she was seen discarding her cigarette butt from a car window in Barbara Castle Way.

Osman Iqbal, of Godolphin Road, Slough, was also fined £100 with £120 costs as he was seen discarding his cigarette butt from a car window on Preston New Road.

Richard Jones was fined £50 for dropping a cigarette out of a van window while he was driving down Barbara Castle Way.

Although he denies dropping the filter off his roll-up cigarettes, he decided to pay the fine rather than face the risk of going to court and being eligible for costs.

He said: "The whole philosophy of innocent until proven guilty has gone out of the window with Blackburn with Darwen Council.

"They told me that I had dropped this cigarette end and it was up to me to prove that I hadn't.

"How on earth could I have done that? How can anyone prove that they didn't drop litter?

"With that philosophy they are on to a winner."

Coun Mohammed Khan, executive member for housing and neighbourhoods, defended the policy.

He said: "There really is no excuse for dropping any litter on the floor.

"If everyone did this then the streets would be a mess."