THE annual cost of clearing up litter and graffiti in the New Forest has now soared past the £1m mark, the Daily Echo can reveal.

At least 45 staff are employed full- time in clear-up operations - and contractors have also had to be brought in when the problem gets out of hand.

Now the district council is urging the public to shop the culprits.

People in the district are being asked to name the daubers, the litterbugs and the fly-tippers in an attempt to halt the alarming rise, and hotlines have been set up.

The council has also pointed out that the £1m figure does not include all the abandoned cars which have to be towed away and disposed of.

Services development manager Roger Sired explained that it just relates to the litter dropped on to roads, pavements and other public land, graffiti, fly-posting and rubbish-dumping.

In unveiling the council's hotline numbers - 023 8028 5959 for graffiti and litter dumping and 023 8028 5988 for reporting abandoned vehicles - district environment portfolio holder Paul Woods appealed for help from the public.

He said: "I know that many people take great pride in our district, but unfortunately there is a minority who do not.

"We will not tolerate this and we ask everybody to help us by reporting anyone they see fly-tipping, fly-posting, dumping rubbish or scrawling graffiti.

"Any abandoned vehicles should be reported to us straight away so we can take action."

The cost of dealing with abandoned vehicles is at present running at about £1,600 each week with the predicted figure for the financial year just ending standing at £83,000.

Chewing gum has also developed into a major problem and Councillor Woods explained that tests were being carried out on new methods of cleaning it from pavements, precincts and other walkways.

So far, he said, the work had been restricted to the use of expensive steam-cleaning equipment.