PEOPLE who drop litter in South Lakeland could be handed an on-the-spot £75 fine in the coming weeks by special patrols as tough new laws are enforced.

Fixed penalty notices for dropping litter, fly tipping or abandoning vehicles will be issued in South Lakeland in the coming weeks under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act.

The act, which came into force last year, gives local authorities and parish councils wide-ranging powers so that environmental problems can be tackled more easily.

And, in the coming weeks, on-the-spot fines will be introduced to deter those who openly flout the law after a warning.

For full story see the February 23 edition of The Westmorland Gazette.