Smokers who get fined for dropping cigarette ends could get a £100 refund from today, if they complete a stop smoking course.

The scheme, which is run by Swale council and Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT), is aimed at getting people to kick the habit.

Anyone caught littering in the borough is currently fined £150 by the council.

But under the plans, people who complete the free six-week course will be eligible for the refund.

Those who do the course will be put in a group or appointed a one-to-one adviser to come up with a quit plan.

They can also get nicotine replacement patches and gum on prescription for the duration of the course.

Swale council spends about £900,000 a year cleaning the borough's streets with three quarters of the rubbish collected being smoking related.

In the last year 1,633 fines were handed out for littering across the borough.

Cabinet member for environment and rural affairs at the council, Cllr David Simmons (Con), said: "We want residents to give up smoking not just for the obvious health benefits but also to reduce the number of used cigarette butts we have to clean up all across the borough.

"KCHFT offer a brilliant free stopping smoking service and by working together like this we can improve local people’s health and make our streets cleaner.

"The £100 refund can hopefully act as a nudge for smokers to try to improve their health, and if you don't smoke you won't be dropping cigarette butts for us to clean up!"

"The £100 refund can hopefully act as a nudge for smokers" - Cllr David Simmons

There are follow-up tests after six and 12 months to show they have remained smoke free.

Assistant director for health improvement at KCHFT, Anne Ford, said: "Stopping smoking is the single most important step you can take to improve your health and reduce your chances of serious illness and premature death.

"We know it can be tough to quit smoking, but the One You Smokefree team is here to help you, every step of the way. We don’t give lectures! Just free support and practical advice. You can even get nicotine replacement therapy products such as patches or gum on prescription to help you.

"We are delighted to be working with Swale council to help people to quit smoking for life."

The scheme launches on the same day as Stoptober gets underway.

The One You Smokefree team runs clinics and groups across Kent for anyone who wants to quit smoking. Sixty five per cent of people who use the programme successfully quit smoking, compared to just three per cent who try to quit by going it alone.

For help to go Smokefree contact the One You team on 0300 123 1220, email kcht.hicentraladmin@nhs.net or visit www.kentcht.nhs.uk/oneyou