Giant supermarket chains, fast food franchises and ordinary residents are teaming up to keep the streets of Essex litter-free.

This year, a campaign from Love Essex has been launched in the county to reduce the amount of rubbish dropped on the streets.

From 24 August until the end of September posters and fast food packaging will carry messages to different target audiences, to encourage the use of bins.

Companies involved include McDonalds, Tesco and Britvic.

Councillor Will Breare-Hall, environment portfolio holder at Epping Forest District council said: “Litter is a shameful blight on our towns and countryside. It damages the environment and costs Essex tax payers millions of pounds each year to clean up.

“By working with other local authorities and businesses I hope we can encourage more people to put their litter in the bin and prevent bad habits developing.”

“Not only is it harmful to the environment and expensive to clear up, it is also anti-social. If you are caught littering you could find yourself having to pay a costly fine.”

This year, more than 300 local businesses across Essex, Suffolk and Kent are all joining forces with the same objective - to combat litter and put pressure on offenders to change their anti-social behaviour.

Anyone caught littering can be fined £75 on the spot.