XN000022-1978-06-16 — Page 9

FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 1978

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LITTER BUGS BEWARE

LITTER WARDENS ON THE PROWL ******

PEOPLE GOING TO THE BEACHES THIS WEEKEND ARE REMINDED TO KEEP THE BEACHES CLEAN BY PUTTING THE IR RUBBISH INTO THE BIN.

SINCE THE CLEAN BEACH CAMPAIGN WAS LAUNCHED ON JUNE 4, ABOUT 200 LITTER-BUGS WERE CAUGHT BY LITTER WARDENS AT VARIOUS GĀZETTED BEACHES ON HONG KONG ISLAND AND THE NEW TERRITORIES DURING THE LAST TWO WEEKENDS.

+ THE GREATEST NUMBER OF LITTER OFFENDERS WERE FOUND AT REPULSE BAY, SAID MR. HU1 KWOK-CHEUNG, CHIEF HEALTH INSPECTOR OF THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

+NOW THAT THE SUMMER IS HERE, WE ARE SENDING LITTER-SQUADS TO VARIOUS POPULAR BEACHES TO ENSURE THAT THE BEACHES ARE NOT TURNED

INTO PUBLIC DUMPING GROUNDS BY LITTER-BUGS,+ HE SAID.

SIX LITTER-SQUADS, EACH CONSISTING OF A SENIOR FOREMAN AND A FOREMAN, HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO PATROL THE GAZETTED BEACHES ON HONG KONG ISLAND, WHILE EIGHT SQUADS HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO PATROL BEACHES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

+WE HAND OUT SUMMONSES TO THOSE WHO PURPOSELY DROP LITTER ON THE BEACHES,+ SAID LITTER WARDEN LEE MING-CHEUNG, +BUT THOSE WHO UN INTENTIONALLY COMMIT THE OFFENCE WE GIVE THEM WARNINGS.+

MR. LEE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT DOGS ARE NOT ALLOWED ON THE BEACHES. SUMMONSES WILL BE SERVED ON DOG OWNERS IF THE IR DOGS HAVE BEEN FOUND TO HAVE FOULED THE BEACHES.

COMMENTING ON THE DIFFICULTIES FACED BY THE LITTER WARDENS, MR. LEE SAID IT WAS PROBLEM OF CHECKING THE IDENTITY OF THE OFFENDERS.

+USUALLY THE BEACH-GOERS DO NOT BRING ALONG ANY DOCUMENT WHICH WILL IDENTIFY THEM. SO WE TELEPHONE THEIR HOMES TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE CORRECT NAMES AND OTHER DATA,+ MR. LEE SAID.

+BUT IT IS GRATIFYING TO NOTE THAT THE SWIMMERS WHO GO TO BEACHES IN GROUPS ARE NOW MORE CIVIC-MINDED.

+THEY USUALLY APPOINT A LEADER AMONG THEIR GROUPS TO CONDUCT

THE IR MEMBERS TO CLEAN UP THE BEACHES BEFORE THEY LEAVE.

+I HOPE ALL BEACH-GOERS WILL FOLLOW THE IR EXAMPLE, HE SAID.

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