New technology is proving successful in the fight against litter louts in the Braintree district 12 people have been caught in a month.

Braintree Council is trying to clamp down on people who discard litter around towns and in the countryside.

They have been using a new weapon in their war on litter, which involves spotting people throwing litter out of cars, taking their registration plate details and then sending them a fine.

As a result of this, the number of £50 fixed penalty notices issued to people in the district leapt to 12 last month compared to just two this time last year.

A spokeswoman for the council said: "We have officers on the look out for people dropping litter and we will prosecute if we have to."

The council is now using the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to find out the addresses of littering motorists via their registration plates.

If you spot littering, you can report it to the council on 01376 331616

Published Thursday, June 12, 2003

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