LEISURE services could be cut if local authorities are forced to comply with Government pressure to issue more fines to litter louts, a council leader has warned.

Derwentside District Council leader Councillor Alex Watson said it could cost up to £1m to tackle environmental issues such as litter, dog-fouling, graffiti and fly-posting more robustly.

He said the way to solve the problem in Derwentside was with more community education and extra street cleaners.

But he said the Government was encouraging authorities to criminalise people by employing "armies of enforcement officers" to issue fines for minor offences.

Coun Watson said it could mean the loss of one of the district's leisure centres.

He said: "We have not got the resources and this is the police's responsibility because it is a criminal offence.

"Cases like this often involve alcohol and takeway wrappers or bottles.

"It could easily lead to violence and it is not something I want this authority to adopt.

"What do you do with schoolchildren?

"Low-income families are not going to be able to pay every time a schoolchild spits out their chewing gum.

"The system is open to abuse, and when someone challenges an enforcement officers' authority, it will involve a costly legal process."

Local authorities were given powers to tackle dog-fouling and litterbugs in 1997 and graffiti and fly-posting in 2004.

From April 6, they will have the powers to increase fixed penalty notices from £50 to £80, fine people for putting their bins out too early and not bringing them in after collection and abandoning cars.

The average number of fines issued per local authority nationally last year was 56 in all areas of 'environmental crime' but 40 per cent were never paid.

Last financial year, Derwentside District Council issued nine fixed penalty notices for dog fouling only, but all were paid.

Minister for local environmental quality Ben Bradshaw said: "In the short-term, targeting resources at cleaning up might seem like the best idea, but it just isn't efficient.

"We need to look at changing behaviour.

"This can be achieved through education and campaigns, but where that doesn't work we need strict enforcement of the law."