LITTER louts who failed to pay their £80 on the spot fines have seen the cost of their actions rise to £410.

Bradford Council revealed that it took 92 people to court in a single week for failing to pay fixed penalty notices issued after they were caught littering.

During the latest single justice session at Bradford Magistrates' Court, fines totalling more than £36,000 were issued.

The sum includes prosecution costs and victim surcharge fees.

Cllr Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s executive member for Environment, Sport and Culture, said: “The message is clear, don’t drop litter if you don’t want to get a Fixed Penalty Notice but if you do get one, don’t ignore it because it won’t go away.

“The last thing we want to do is to give people a criminal record and drag them through the courts, but if behaviour doesn’t change, we don’t have much choice.

“If you are caught dropping litter, and you don’t pay the £80, then you will end up with a much more painful bill.

“Dropping litter and leaving it to blight our streets is just another form of anti-social behaviour.

"We just want people to stop and think about what they are going to do with their rubbish and dispose of it properly.”

Figures revealed to the Telegraph & Argus show that the number of fines handed out for littering has increased from 43 a year in 2016 to more than 820 in a single month since the council employed a private contractor to enforce littering offences.

Since July, eight enforcement officers from 3GS have been operating in Bradford city centre and Keighley, handing out fines to people who drop litter, including cigarette ends and chewing gum, as well as dog owners who do not clean up after their pets.

The fine for littering also increased from £75, or £50 for early payment, to £80 with no reduction for early payment.

But non-payment remains a problem. In November 2018, 801 fines were issued but just 439 were paid. The council said the number of fines paid each month also includes penalties issued in previous months.

The council has signed an agreement with the magistrates' court to bring 120 prosecutions a month against people who do not pay their fines.

Cllr Simon Cooke, leader of the Conservatives in Bradford Council. said: "I'm pleased that the council is taking littering seriously.

"But I don't think the measure of success should be the number of people who have been prosecuted. The measure should be how much littering there is. It's great that this is happening and it also shows how using private contractors can make a real difference in in terms of delivering effective public services.

"It's perhaps something the council should look to do more often."

The council said the people prosecuted for not paying their fixed penalty notices saw their fines rise from £80 to about £410 per person and each convicted defendant also ended up with a criminal record.

A council spokesman said it is too early for "definitive evidence" but Bradford's Clean Teams believe the new system is a success and have reported less litter in the city centre.