FAST food firms should be forced to pay a new "tax" to cover the cost of cleaning up litter.

That is the message from a leading Selby councillor, who says the area is being plagued by takeaway litter louts.

Coun Brian Percival, chairman of Selby District Council's economy board, made the call for fast food outlets to pay extra business rates to cover the clean-up costs.

He said: "Litter is a substantial problem wherever there are fast food takeaways. We have got a problem in Selby town especially.

"I can't see any reason why the takeaway industry should not be paying for the cost of rubbish collection. It should not be borne by the community at large.

"Picking up of litter discarded by litter louts costs the council tax payer a considerable sum each year. There should be a local surcharge on the business rate for these firms."

He said the "tax" could be introduced in a similar way to how the Irish government introduced a 10p charge on plastic supermarket bags.

The news comes as Selby District Council environmental health workers launched a massive litter pick on the verges of the A64 near Tadcaster.

Coun Percival, who initiated the clear-up, singled out fast food giant McDonald's, which has an outlet at Bilbrough Top on the A64, as the worst offender in the district.

He said: "I am not saying it is exclusively McDonald's, but I am saying that they are the most easily identifiable company.

"While they might clean it within the vicinity of their takeaway, they do not clean it up in the by-lanes and the side roads where it is thrown. It is a massive problem."

But a spokeswoman for McDonald's said its workers carried out regular litter patrols to clear rubbish from a wide area around their restaurants.

She said: "McDonald's is committed to being a responsible partner in every community in which we trade. We take complaints of this nature very seriously and will continue to review and develop our systems to ensure we remain a responsible partner."

Nure Onay, of Golden Skewer Kebabs, in Micklegate, in Selby, said he would oppose any increase in rates faced by takeaway owners. He said: "We already pay more than what we should be paying in business rates. Litter is a big problem but I think everybody should pay for it."

Updated: 09:28 Friday, March 03, 2006