ON-THE-SPOT fines could be introduced to combat litter and dog fouling in Richmondshire.

On Tuesday, the district council environment and planning committee received a report entitled How clean is Richmondshire?

It was completed by the community and environment overview and scrutiny committee between last September and February, in consultation with parish councils, members of the public and senior officers.

The two main problem areas identified were litter and dog fouling. Other issues parishes identified were fly tipping, untidy grass verges and graffiti.

Committee chairman Coun Yvonne Peacock said: "The review was undertaken from the residents' perspective.

"The parishes and the town have different problems but one thing we did find was that residents are extremely good at self-help. They go out individually to pick up litter and some organise group events.

"However, the parish and town councils were unsure on what services the district council provides. We have recommended ideas to improve the cleanliness of the area for residents which will not necessarily cost money.

"On-the-spot fines should be introduced to encourage the public not to drop litter. This scheme is already starting to work with dog fouling."

Recommendations in the report included on-the-spot litter fines, a provision for occupants who throw litter out of their vehicles to be identified and prosecuted, and emptying litter bins more regularly during the tourist season.

It was suggested that the council needed to work more closely with parish councils to help volunteers to keep their own area clean and tidy and to inform them of district council services.

Ward members would be requested to walk around their own areas and residents encouraged to take ownership of reporting issues to the district council.

Coun Peacock said fast food outlets should be approached for help to eliminate rubbish from around their premises.

The dog warden would also be asked to spend more time in areas identified by parish councils as being a problem and encourage residents to report incidents.

A new review to look at ways in which street cleaning and service contracts operate was also proposed. The committee welcomed the report.