COUNCIL officers are this week undergoing intensive training to issue £75 penalties for littering.

Five officers will finish studying tomorrow so that they can dedicate themselves to enforcing the Clean Neighbourhoods Act 2005.

They will interview witnesses, take statements and issue fines, and work closely with Police Community Support Officers.

The fine money will go back to Warrington Borough Council and the Environmental Services Department hopes enough will be raised for it to be self-supporting.

People can challenge the fines and then the evidence can be disputed.

The Clean Neighbourhoods Act only came into force in 2005 but the council is now pushing to enforce it.

The Environmental Services Department won a bid for £100,000 of council priority funding to pay for three new enforcement officers.

Previous legislation involved several different acts and the fines money went to the Government, leaving councils with the enforcement bill.

The council hopes public awareness and a determination to make sure fines are paid will make up for the small number of trained enforcement officers.

However, street littering will not be their main priority - instead it will be commercial waste from 6,200 businesses.

Every business needs an agreement to dispose of trade waste - even an office business run from home.

sbailey@guardiangrp.co.uk