News that litter louts and cigarette butt throwers in Wisbech’s Horsefair face £75 on the spot fines if they are caught prompted a huge outpouring on the Wisbech Discussion Forum page of Facebook.

More than 221 comments were made following last week’s Wisbech Standard story.

Opinions were split with some commentators suggesting the move, launched jointly between the Horsefair and Fenland District Council, smacks of George Orwell’s 1984.

One wrote: “Be they will be hiding and watching and CCTV will be on following people - Orwell’s 1984 comes to mind.”

Another said: “What a laugh you can just imagine, ha ha, you can just imagine it - you light a cigarette this CCTV will be watching you until you finish. What a joke.”

There were questions too over what people should do with their cigarette butts with a simple response from one poster: “Plenty of bins around, put out stub, pick it up and put in bin. Easy.”

Another comment read: “While I agree that people shouldn’t litter, maybe putting fixed penalty notices on it is going to be difficult to enforce. If someone doesn’t want to give you their name and address there is very little you can do about it. Then you just tell them to take you to small claims court and eventually if they have enough evidence you end up paying the £75 which to be honest is very unlikely.”

And another wrote: “Drive wrong way in one way street and get away with it, but drop a fag butt £75 please. Glad the priority’s sorted in town.”

One poster thinks the fine is too low: “£120 would make them think twice, same for all types of litter, beer cans, urinating and defecating...”

One final comment points out: “I think it’s very sad that this should have to happen. Can’t believe people just chuck rubbish on the floor”