PEOPLE dropping litter on the streets of Wirral risk being fined by a team of enforcement officers operating in the borough.

In an effort to maintain high standards of street cleanliness, particularly around town and village centres, the Council has extended its partnership with contractor NSL to tackle people who drop litter.

Anyone caught littering faces a £75 fixed penalty, reduced to £50 if they pay within 10 days.

During a recent campaign in Birkenhead and Liscard town centres, four fixed penalty notices were issued.

Councillor Harry Smith, Wirral's cabinet member for Streetscene and transport services, said: "The cleanliness of our streets and the general environmental appearance of our local shopping areas is something we know the public are deeply concerned about.

"As a result, a programme of cleaning and improving these areas is underway.

"In order to ensure this improvement programme has a noticeable and long-lasting effect, we are using our existing contract with NSL to train and authorise their staff to enforce the law around litter on our behalf.

"Hopefully, the issuing of fixed penalty notices during the recent campaign will serve to encourage people to dispose of their litter properly in future, rather than risk being fined."

Tim Cowen, of NSL, added: "Our Civil Enforcement Officers are a high-profile presence on streets in towns and cities all over the UK, and where we do environmental enforcement we find they are a very effective deterrent against littering.

"We are delighted we will be working to keep Wirral's streets clean and tidy."

Further litter patrols will take place around all local centres on a regular basis in the coming weeks and months.