THE first prosecutions of people who failed to pay fixed penalty notices handed out as part of Wirral Council’s “zero-tolerance” crackdown on littering have been brought before the courts.

An £80 fine issued for dropping litter spiraled in to £370 for 16 people who failed to enter a plea or attend court.

In total, 18 cases were dealt with at Wirral Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, with two people pleading guilty by letter and the other 16 found guilty in their absence.

The 16 who failed to enter a plea or attend court were all hit with a fine of £100, as well as being ordered to pay £100 contribution to the council’s prosecution costs, £150 criminal court costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Of the two who pleaded guilty by letter, one received a £60 fine, £100 costs, £150 court costs and £20 victim surcharge while the other received a £20 fine, £40 costs, £150 court costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Cllr Bernie Mooney, Wirral Council's cabinet member for environment and sustainability, said: “These cases prove that we really do mean business when it comes to cleaning up our streets and open spaces and creating a more attractive local environment.

“We started this new approach to litter enforcement back in July and I think people can see that we are not going to let up. Moreover, this court action shows that ignoring the fixed penalty notice is not an option; we will follow them up and take people to court if necessary.

“The message is clear. If you don’t want to be hit in the pocket with a fixed penalty notice or, even worse, a heftier fine, conviction in court and a criminal record - don’t drop litter, put it in the bin.”

Fines handed out to litter louts in Wirral topped £281,000 in the first three months of the crackdown.

The local authority hired Kingdom Ltd to patrol the borough - with staff using body cameras to gather evidence.

More than 4,700 penalty notices have been given out so far.

The drive began on July 1 and figures show 4,713 penalties have been issued up to now – a huge increase on the total of 90 littering fines issued over five years from 2010.