THE deputy mayor of Bournemouth has asked for more to be done to clamp down on litter in the town.

Speaking at the council meeting on Tuesday, Cllr Phil Stanley-Watts said: “In the last month or so Bournemouth has become the busiest tourist resort in the UK and probably Europe with the hot weather, and this has been a welcome boost to our economy.

“The downside of this is the vast mountains of rubbish left by visitors. I would like to pay tribute to our cleansing and waste team – they have done a fantastic job making our beaches and streets clean.

“My question is can funding be found for signage deterring visitors from dropping litter and a campaign against litter bugs?”

Cllr Stanley-Watts’ plea comes after the Daily Echo ran a story earlier this month about a hotel manager who claimed he was getting poor reviews and losing business because of the amounts of litter left in Bournemouth Gardens.

Matthew Winchcombe, assistant manager at the Lampeter Hotel, said it was deterring people from coming to visit, in particular coach tour operators.

Cllr David Smith, cabinet member for planning and the environment, said at the meeting: “The council has continuously encouraged individuals not to dump litter and has had many campaigns to that effect.”

He said he did not believe that extra signage was the answer, as the council was trying to de-clutter streets.

Cllr Smith said fines for littering continued to be handed out and most of them were paid.

“I shall ensure that robust enforcement continues,” he added.