Litter drop louts and cigarette butt throwers face on the spot fines if they are caught dropping their rubbish in the Horsefair shopping centre in Wisbech as part of a new partnership.

The Horsefair has teamed up with Fenland District Council in order to reduce the amount of litter that is dropped in the town centre.

Street scene officers already issue fixed penalty notices throughout the town centre, and this has now been extended to include the Horsefair and the area around the bus station area.

Cllr Peter Murphy, portfolio holder for the environment said: “This is an excellent opportunity for Fenland District Council and The Horsefair to work in partnership together in the fight against litter in the town centre.

“Unfortunately despite numerous bins in the area there is a small minority who continue to throw their rubbish, including cigarette butts, on the floor. Sometimes fining those responsible is the only way they will change their behaviour when all else has failed. “

Kevin Smith, manager of the Horsefair Shopping Centre, said: “Our on-site cleaners work extremely hard to maintain a clean environment for shoppers, so this will be a great help for them.”

Officers are now authorised to issue on the spot fixed penalty notices of £75 for anyone that they witness littering.

It is hoped that this will act as a strong deterrent to those who drop litter, which costs the shopping centre a significant amount of time every year, which would be better spent maintaining and improving other areas of the Horsefair.