EIGHT smokers have been fined £50 in York for dropping cigarette butts in the street - but another 20 people have been given raffle tickets for putting their litter in bins.

Anti-litter patrols have adopted a new carrot and stick approach to keep York's streets clean and tidy over the summer holidays.

Litter louts caught dropping rubbish in the street by members of City of York Council's Street Environment Team are being given £50 fixed penalty notices. But people spotted correctly disposing of their litter in bins - or picking refuse up off the ground - are being handed raffle tickets, entering them into a special prize draw.

They can win prizes including:

Free First York bus passes for one month

Four free tickets to VUE cinema

Lunch for two at the Tempus Bar at Royal York Hotel

Four vouchers to the Popular Stand at York City

A day at York Races for two people.

The initiative was launched earlier this week in St Sampson's Square by a giant "butt buster," who handed out free portable ashtrays to smokers to encourage them not to drop their cigarette ends in the street.

A council spokeswoman said the latest crackdown had been timed to coincide with the summer holidays, when tourists, school children and residents all converge on the city.

"It is hoped that the 'carrot and stick approach' will encourage people not to drop litter across the city, not just in the city centre," she said.

"Income from the fines will be used to fund further schemes to combat litter."

She said smokers wanting a portable ashtray could obtain one free of charge by phoning the York Pride action line on 01904 551551.

Updated: 10:57 Saturday, July 30, 2005