MANY of us have spotted passers-by dropping rubbish on the streets and wondered if some expletives might do the trick.

Now Worcester City Council could be about to make litter-louts think again - with electronic signs saying 'Don't be a TOSSPOT' dotted around key locations.

Your Worcester News can reveal how over the last three years just 22 people have been handed £80 on-the-spot fines for dropping litter despite taxpayers stumping up more than £3 million to keep the city clean.

After years of campaigns with the support of this newspaper city streets are cleaner than ever, but there is more to do and only two weeks ago we revealed how flytippers sparked fury by dumping rubbish down the A4440 Swinesherd Way.

Now Councillor Andy Roberts, the council's cabinet member for cleaner and greener, says he is exploring using the electronic matrix boards to send culprits a hard-hitting message.

The suggestion, which has the Backing of Keep Britain Tidy, has come about after several other councils launched 'Don't be a Tosser' campaigns.

Suffolk County Council has done so for several years and Braintree has adopted the same slogan, while in Northumberland one homeowner took it upon herself to place A4 posters on trees sporting the same message.

Cllr Roberts says he thinks Worcester people could find the word 'tosser' offensive and is exploring a toned-down alternative.

"We need to do something - even if we cut litter by 10 per cent it'd save a hell of a lot of money," he said.

"I don't like 'don't be a tosser', but if you said 'don't be a tosspot' I think people would find it less offensive."

He said he was still "firming up" his view but wants to explore whether Worcestershire County Council, which owns the boards, will display the anti-littering messages on them "at very little cost" to taxpayers.

"It's people prepared to dump fridges into hedges we've got to tackle - we all pay our council tax towards cleaning it up," he said.

The matrix boards cost virtually nothing to operate and are used routinely to display key highways messages like roadworks.

The idea has been praised by Keep Britain Tidy, which came up with the 'Tosser' slogan originally.

A spokesman said: "Anything that engages the public and gets people talking has to be very good - we have used 'Don't be a Tosser' ourselves and our ambassador Kirstie Allsopp backs it.

"The message is so important.

"We would be very supportive of this or anything a bit different.

"And if they do decide to go ahead with it we'd ask them to measure the outcomes and if it works, tell people about it."

Bosses at County Hall say they've been contacted about the idea and are still considering what to do.

Councillor John Smith, cabinet member for highways, said: "The boards give out highways information and whether we'd want to take this on, we don't know.

"I'd prefer 'Keep Britain Tidy' myself but anything is feasible.

"Litter is a pain and we've got to keep roadsides clean."

The word tosspot originally dates back to the 16th century and used to be a term for those who were drunk, making it a quaint old English term.

Cllr Smith said he agreed the word 'tosser' was not appropriate, saying it carries "all sorts of connotations".

* What do you think - have you got any slogans of your own? Email te@worcesternews.co.uk or call 01905 742248.