A LEADING Worcester councillor has come out fighting over the issue of litter by saying there will be a clampdown on people who drop rubbish.

But Coun Allah Ditta, the city council cabinet member for the environment, said targeting litter louts and slapping them with fixed penalty notices must be done in conjunction with a system of educating and warning the public.

Coun Ditta's comments came after he was forced to defend a statement he made in June regarding the powers to fine people £80 if they were caught dropping litter.

At the time he said: "We will not tolerate people who drop litter in places where it is visible. My message is that if you drop litter, it will cost you."

But since May, when these powers came into effect, just 26 fixed penalty notices have been issued.

Coun Ditta said: "I have to put my hand up and say Yes', I have to stand by that statement. I'm not going to try and dodge it."

He now believes that a combination of educating the public and warning them if they are caught dropping rubbish, as well as the fines to tackle the city's litter problem, will work. He also pointed out that 29 litter control notices had been issued. These notices order people to clean up places like gardens and driveways of rubbish. Of these notices, 21 had resulted in areas being tidied.

A police spokesman said: "We are continuing to enthusiastically support our local authority partners in their anti-litter strategy, which began with a period of education, allowing those small groups of individuals who drop litter to change their behaviour.

"The strategy also includes a sustainable enforcement campaign, with local authority staff as well as CSOs and police officers targeting offenders. While part of this strategy includes the issue of fixed penalty notices by CSOs there may well be occasions at the discretion of the individual officer when education rather than enforcement is more appropriate."