LIVERPOOL Mayor Joe Anderson this week sensationally kicked controversial litter squad Kingdom out of the city.

It means the firm, which has been employed by the council since March last year, will have its contract cut short in December.

Speaking this week, Mayor Anderson said the officers’ behaviour had been 'unethical', and something the council could no longer 'put up with.'

The firm has also caused a lot of controversy in Wirral, where the local authority recently extended its contract by up to six more years.

So given Liverpool’s strong stance, and the long list of cases involving Kingdom – not least the recent leaked Whatsapp chats mentioning 'kicking kids in the head' and following people home – will Wirral Council do the same?

For those wanting to see the back of Kingdom, it’s bad news because, when asked by the Local Democracy Service if they would follow suit, the local authority responded with a simple but clear statement: “There are no plans to end the current contract at this time.”

It means the three-year extension of the council’s first environmental enforcement contract remains in place, after it was initially awarded in 2015.

The decision by Wirral Council, revealed in June, also has the option of extending the contract for a further three years to a total of six – stretching to 2024.

The private firm’s squad has handed out a huge number of fines across Wirral since 2015, with some officers patrolling in plain clothes as they attempt to catch people in the act of dropping litter.