More than 400 fines have been given out to people in North Somerset for littering, urinating and defecating in public and dog fouling.
North Somerset Council teamed up with private company Local Authority Support earlier this year to crackdown on littering, dog fouling and antisocial behaviour in the area.
The 12-month contract started in May and six trained officers have been patrolling the area and issuing £75 fines to anyone seen breaching public space protection orders (PSPOs).
PSPOs are used to deal with antisocial behaviour in a specific area which is detrimental to the local community’s quality of life.
Up until the beginning of August, more than 400 on-the-spot fines had been issued, compared with 14 in the same period last year.
These include 331 for littering, 42 for dogs not being on a lead when they should, 27 for owners breaching dog exclusion zones, three for people urinating or defecating in a public place and two for dog fouling.
The council is pleased with the scheme's progress so far, which is helping to make North Somerset a cleaner place for residents and visitors.
Cllr Mike Solomon, North Somerset Council's executive member for neighbourhoods and community services said: "Environmental crime and antisocial behaviour can have a detrimental effect on our communities and littering and dog fouling remain a big concern for many residents.
"By working with LA Support, we are building on the great work already undertaken by officers and volunteers across the area who pick up other people's litter and keep North Somerset clean.
"By working together we will tackle this antisocial behaviour that blights our public spaces."
In a survey last year, only 40 per cent of respondents thought the area was clean, and about 90 per cent agreed it was reasonable to issue on-the-spot fines to deal with dog fouling.
On-the-spot fines are paid directly to LA Support and if they are unpaid the council will prosecute through the courts.
People can alert the council to a particular hot spot by emailing waste.enforcement@n-somerset.gov.uk
Locations of dog fouling can be reported through the Pooper Snooper app at https://poopersnooper.app/get-started
The app informs the council of the worst offending areas allowing targeted patrols.
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