As the Telegraph & Argus has highlighted many times with its Bin It for Bradford campaign, litter is a huge problem that blights many of Bradford's communities. There are also many efforts being made to combat the scourge of dumping rubbish and to clean up the district.

So the new powers enabling parish and town councils to take strong action against fly-tippers and litter louts should be commended.

It is worrying, however, that there are fears the welcome legislation might not have the full bite it needs to have because of issues over funding.

There are plenty of worthwhile campaigns up and running, such as the recently-launched Big Sweep from Bradford Council, which aims to take a pro-active approach to tackling litter.

But the fact remains that some people will repeatedly flout the rules and have little regard for the feelings of their neighbours, and these new powers made available to parish and town councils could go a long way to stamping out what is simply anti-social behaviour.

It would be a shame if the authorities who have been given the ability to take action, such as slapping £80 fines on graffiti artists or litter-droppers, felt they were not able to use them for financial reasons.

Every effort must be made on all parts to ensure that the full weight of the laws that have been put into place to help stamp out the problems that blight many people's lives are brought to bear, and that the authorities find ways to continue the work underway to help clean up Bradford and district.