CALLS have been made to throw Kingdom out of Wirral for good after the firm continued to hound business owners over £300 fines for sweet wrappers.

The council’s Liberal Democrat group have requested an extraordinary council meeting to discuss the firm’s “heavy-handed” dealings, with a view to follow Liverpool’s lead and terminate all of its contracts.

Last week, it was announced Kingdom’s commercial waste contract had been suspended by the authority after businesses around New Brighton and Wallasey were handed £300 fines under “aggressive” new commercial waste rules.

The Fixed Penalty Notices were given out to local book shops and antique stores not able to demonstrate how “commercial waste” is disposed, and were issued for items such as a sweet wrapper and newspaper inside the premises.

On Thursday, the council’s five Liberal Democrat members demanded an extraordinary council meeting to discuss the contract.

In a letter to the local authority, they said they were aware of “adverse publicity” of the FPNs, Kingdom’s “failure” to tackle dog fouling and the “minimal impact” on littering.

It said the penalties were “unjustified” and that “harassment” is causing reputational damage to the council, also raising concerns over “serious flaws” in the contract.

It added: “We believe that the financial incentives encourage Kingdom operatives to focus on relatively trivial offences.

“It is time that Council terminates all contracts with this company and call upon the Cabinet to follow the example of many authorities, such as Liverpool City Council, to end the use of privatised law enforcement in Wirral.”

This week, Kingdom has come under fire again for bizarre blunders made in threatening letters sent out to several businesses.

Described as a “copy and paste job”, the documents threaten shop owners with prosecution – but refer to council officers and officials based hundreds of miles away, in authorities close to London.

The latest letter was received by Mr Martin – and other business owners along Seabank Road, he claims – on Wednesday.

It threatens prosecution, and claims that if the £300 payment isn’t received, a “file will be passed to Waltham Forest Council’s Neighbourhoods and Commercial services to consider legal proceedings at magistrate’s court”.

That adds to a letter received by businesses last week, which, describing why they were being fined, said an “authorised officer of Barnet Council witnessed/gathered evidence of an offence”.

The letters were sent despite the council suspending Kingdom’s commercial waste contract last week, and further assurances from the authority the fines will not be handed out.

Sean Martin, who owns Liberty Antiques on Seabank Road, said Wirral Council and Kingdom don’t even appear to have checked the threatening letters before sending them out.

He said on Thursday he received a message from the cabinet apologising, saying the process “hasn’t gone well”, and will be “reviewed”.

Speaking after receiving the fine, Mr Martin told the Local Democracy Service: “I’m just absolutely fuming. I can’t believe the total incompetence of the people running this.

“Since I got the initial fine it’s just gone from bad to worse.

“Not one of the the letters they’ve sent me is factually correct – they can’t even get the name of the council correct.

“It beggars belief. They need to rescind all the fines that have been issued.”

His letter addressed to Mike Cockburn said: “Do you not read letters that are sent out threatening local residents with criminal records under your name?? Do you not know the effect that this is having on the local small businesses who expect support from their council, not harassment and continued and ongoing threats of a criminal record for an enforcement notice that was issued against all the council’s written policies.”

Wallasey ward councillor Paul Hayes said the mistakes “added insult to injury”, adding that Kingdom had the power to do “pretty much whatever they want” by the council.

He added: “The Cabinet Member, instead of sanctioning this behaviour, should be writing to businesses to apologise for it. At the same time, both Kingdom and the Council need to be reminded who generates the Business Rates in this Borough.”

A spokesman for Wirral Council said: "We suspended enforcement of trade waste legislation whilst we carried out a review of our approach to this issue and we apologise to the confusion that has been caused.

"Based on the significant number of businesses who have advised they were not aware of their legal obligations in this area, the council has on this occasion made the decision to rescind all notices issued.

"Businesses which have already paid a fixed penalty notice will be refunded.

"The emphasis going forward will be that the Council expects all businesses to have plans in place to be compliant with the legal duty of care obligations as set out in the Environmental Protection Act 1990."

Paul Martin, Labour's local election candidate for Wallasey, added: "I was delighted to hear the news that these fines will be rescinded and welcome the common sense approach being adopted by our council.

"Our small businesses are the heartbeat of our community. As well as being the backbone to our local economy, they contribute to a number of community-led initiatives all year round, instilling a sense of belonging and civic pride that makes Wallasey a fantastic place to live, work and visit."