Smoking will be banned at some of Mornington Peninsula’s most popular beaches and public areas in a bid to reduce the tens of thousands of cigarette butts littering the coastline.

The beaches and foreshore areas at Rye, Safety Beach and Mount Eliza will be subject to the smoking bans from this month. The Point Leo Foreshore Reserve management committee said it was also considering a ban this week. The strategy to reduce smoking and litter is part of a six-month trial that is likely to result in a permanent ban.