TWENTY-FIVE people have been issued on-the-spot fines for littering or allowing their dogs to foul in public spaces in Durham City since changes in the law in April.

The city council has employed six neighbourhood wardens to work across the district and is promising a further crackdown in the coming months.

Earlier this year, a law came into force classifying discarded chewing gum and cigarette butts as litter, and making it an offence to drop litter anywhere, including private land, rivers, ponds and lakes.

Neighbourhood wardens have the power to issue fixed penalty notices of £50 for the offences of littering and dog-fouling which can, if not paid, lead to a prosecution through the courts.

As well as the 25 fixed penalty notices, the authority has made a series of successful prosecutions for dog-fouling.

Councillor Carol Woods, the council's portfolio holder for environment and leisure services, said: "The issue of fixed penalty notices for littering and dog-fouling offences, together with the prosecutions which we have successfully taken through the courts, highlight how seriously we are taking these matters.

"Durham has a reputation for being one of the cleanest cities in the country, and we are determined to maintain this."

Since the change in the law, the council has also brought three successful joint prosecutions with the Environment Agency for fly-tipping. In one of the cases, the offender was fined £1,500, with £700 costs and £235 for removal of the rubbish.

Jim Crammon, Durham County's fly-tipping investigation officer, said: "We were recently able to successfully prosecute a fly-tipping offender in the Pity Me area, thanks to a tip-off from members of the public."

Anyone who witnesses any of these offences is encouraged to report them to Durham CityInfo Customer Services on 0191-3018669.