RESIDENTS who continually dump rubbish could face automatic enforcement notices telling them to clean up their act, under plans being mooted by councillors.

Environmental bosses will today discuss proposals to “beef up” the disciplinary process if people are caught littering in streets and back alleys across Bolton.

Under the current system residents who leave rubbish outside of their wheelie bin receive letters from the council advising them not to do it, and are given advice about recycling.

Repeat offenders face a fixed penalty notice if they do not change their ways.

But councillors are looking at introducing a new legal notice — which carries a £100 fine if breached — to stop people dumping black bins full of waste in the street.

Cllr Nick Peel, the council's executive member for environmental services, said he wanted to strengthen the enforcement to tackle littering hotspots across Bolton.

He added: “There is a problem in certain areas of Bolton and certain back streets, where side waste — where people leave rubbish next to bins — becomes fly-tipping very quickly.

“Other people then add to it, which leads to complaints from other neighbours and streets that are full of litter.

“We should be tackling this anti-social behaviour, where people have no respect for their neighbours, and it’s about educating people and changing their attitudes.”

Cllr Sufrana Bashir-Ismail, the cabinet member for community services, said the council has a zero-tolerance approach towards dropping litter.

She added: “However, there are individuals who blatantly ignore these messages and in a climate of reducing budgets, we are taking a stronger stance which will see robust enforcement action.”