CEREDIGION County Council has said its strategy for tackling environmental offences is to “promote positive behaviours and attitudes”.

It was reported in the Cambrian News last week that comments made by the council Cabinet member for environmental services, Cllr Alun Williams, that prosecuting environmental criminals was not the way forward, had been described as “rather weak”.

The comments came after Carmarthenshire County Council announced it had fined 37 people in the last three months for environmental crimes such as littering and failing to comply with the council’s recycling scheme.

But Ceredigion County Council has adopted a very different approach, one which involves encouraging residents to take responsibility for their own behaviour, rather than punishing those who do not.

A central element in this strategy is the council’s own campaign, Caru Ceredigion, which aims to promote positive behaviours and attitudes in helping to keep Ceredigion clean and tidy.

Speaking to the Cambrian News, Gerwyn Jones, group manager local environmental services, said: “Ceredigion’s local environment is very much valued, enjoyed and respected by the vast majority of people.

“Caru Ceredigion is about recognising and celebrating this as well as encouraging everyone to play their part in keeping Ceredigion beautiful and clean.”

See this week’s south editions for the full story, in shops and online now