STREET wardens on Oxford’s estates are to be told to start issuing £75 fines to litter louts and dog owners whose pets foul city streets.

Despite having the powers to issue fixed penalty notices since 2006, Oxford’s 15 street wardens have so far only dished out three fixed penalty notices for littering or dog fouling offences.

In the city centre, however, environmental enforcement officers have handed out 34 fines for littering since April.

Now wardens who operate in Rose Hill, Littlemore, Northfield Brook, Blackbird Leys, Greater Leys, Lye Valley, Wood Farm, Marston, Barton and Sandhills are getting tough on environmental offences, as part of an initiative by the city council.

The crackdown is expected to bring in £6,000 a year to the council.

To reach that figure wardens would have to issue 80 tickets a year – or one roughly every four days. However, councillors say the figure is an estimate not a target.

Councillor Saj Malik said: “It’s important to crack down on environmental crimes and show we mean business.

“These powers to fine have been around for some time now, but they haven’t really been used by street wardens.

“There are problems that streets in these areas aren’t clean enough. We need to make them safe and clean environments.

The council’s environmental enforcement officers issue tickets on sight for first time offenders.

However street wardens have operated a prevention rather than prosecution policy, with offenders given the opportunity to pick up their mess every time a contravention is spotted.

Under new rules introduced last week, offenders will be offered the opportunity to clean up their mess. But if wardens spot them committing the same offence again, a £75 fixed penalty notice will be issued.

The fine is reduced to £50 if it is paid within two weeks.

Green leader Craig Simmons said: “There are lots of problem areas on these estates where pavements are made unpleasant by dog fouling and chewing gum, and that attitude needs to change.”

Former Blackbird Leys Parish Councillor Brian Lester said the move was needed to tackle littering hotspots in Cuddesdon Way, Knights Road, and near shops in Blackbird Leys Road.

Mr Lester, 63, of Pegasus Road said: “It’s about time someone started fining people. We need this enforcement. Without it people are just going to cock a snoop at the law.

“I see people organising football matches on Cuddesdon Park having to pick up dog mess before their games. Hopefully this will bring an end to that.”

Dog owner Paul Witts, 62, of Windale Avenue, said: “This is excellent. There’s a real problem with chip wrappers and burger boxes on the street.

“When someone’s dog fouls they should be poop-a-scooping it or get fined. It is their duty to others to clean up after themselves.”

cwalker@oxfordmail.co.uk