Fly-tippers and commercial waste dumpers in Havering will face a "zero tolerance approach" after a new enforcement team was set up.

Havering Council announced on June 29 an enforcement team to crack down on litter louts by handing out fixed penalty notices (FPNs) to people found fly-tipping, dumping waste, littering and failing to clean up dog mess.

Uniformed officers, provided by National Enforcement Solutions (NES), an enforcement service, will also be responsible for locking park gates and will work on behalf of the council.

Fines are set at around £150 for littering, but can go as high as £400 for fly-tipping and commercial waste offences.

Ray Morgon, leader of Havering Council, said: “We are delighted to have these extra officers on board to help us crack down and be a deterrent to people who are blighting our borough with their anti-social behaviour.

“Their presence will be a welcome sight and also signal to residents, that we have a zero tolerance approach to anyone littering, not clearing up after their dogs and illegally dumping waste,” he added.

NES teams will complement existing council enforcement staff, who will continue to operate across Havering.

Fine incomes will fund the service and contribute to wider enforcement, education and environmental projects, the council said.

In their first week on patrol, NES teams issued 319 FPNs to people found littering, including dropping chewing gum and cigarette butts.

Officers were in Romford town centre where the level of littering is high, said Havering Council, but they will also be patrolling other parts of the borough.

Andy McDonald, national operations manager at NES, said: “We’ll be working closely with the council’s own internal enforcement team to gather intelligence around hotspots, which will help free up their time to tackle more complex issues.

Mr McDonald added that his teams were committed to helping the council achieve its goals and support educational campaigns towards the prevention of crime.