THREE people face court penalties of £290 after being spotted dropping litter by environmental wardens team and then failing to pay initial fines. 

They will be ordered to pay fines of £75, £195 costs and a victim surcharge of £20 for non payment of fixed penalty notices. 

All three did not attend their hearings and the case was proved in their absence at St Helens Magistrates' Court.

Since St Helens Council's four strong Environmental Warden Team was established in August they have served more than 600 penalty notices, the vast majority for littering offences. 

Litter Fixed Penalty Notices are for £75 or £50 if paid within 10 days.
Environmental Wardens also enforce environmental legislation in relation to dog fouling offences and other waste offences.

They were brought in after the council pointed to a £1.8 million bill it spent last year on clearing up dropped litter in the borough.

As well as dog dirt, common types of litter include cigarette stumps, food waste and packaging as well as bus and train ticket stubs.

Councillor Seve Gomez Aspron,  cabinet member for environment, said: "Prosecution is used as a last resort and in the vast majority of cases littering offences are dealt with by way of a fixed penalty notice. 

"However, if it is not paid on time, or a person is abusive or provides  false or misleading information to officers then it our policy to prosecute those individuals. 

"The council is determined to tackle those persons responsible for litter and waste offences and these first prosecutions should provide a clear indication to those who doubt the councils resolve.

The simplest way is not to litter."