WORCESTER'S so-called softly-softly approach towards people who drop litter may be over but there has been a minimal increase in the number of the fines that have been paid.

On Saturday, July 29, the Worcester News reported that just 14 fixed penalty notices had been issued since new powers came into effect in May.

Under the new law, anyone caught dropping litter can be fined £80, or £50 if they pay within 10 days of a notice being issued.

At that time, the low number of notices was put down to an initial period of education - people were given warnings instead of fines.

But since then, the total number of fixed penalty notices that have been paid is 18, which amounts to £900 in fines.

Of these, only one notice was issued by police community support officers. The remainder were by Worcester's four council officers who do the job alongside their other role of pollution control.

Worcester City Council leader Simon Geraghty said the authority has invested £50,000 to fund two community support officers under the condition that all CSOs would enforce the penalty notices. In response to whether or not that sum had so far proved of value to taxpayers' money, Mr Geraghty said: "We have got to see over a full year with all their other duties.

"I am sure the CSOs are doing great work but we have to make sure that they are doing their enforcement duties." He said there was a political will to ensure Worcester was named Britain's cleanest city by 2011.

"We have now the right people on the ground to do that. We can't physically go around and make sure that at every opportunity enforcement is taking place.

"We have to rely on the fact that enforcement is going on. In the beginning there may well have been the introductory period but that has come to an end. There should not be a softly-softly approach."

Mr Geraghty added: "If we want to achieve the goal of being the cleanest city it is going to take all the agencies working together and the public need to take responsibility."

A police spokesman said: "Mindful of the city council's litter strategy we have been working in support of its implementation.

"However, while we and they have seen the introduction of the strategy - the educational stage - as a phased initiative, it is intended that action will now be stepped up."