LITTERBUGS and dog-owners who don’t clean up after their pets are being hit with higher fines as Salford adopts new national rules.

Councils nationwide were told in April they could introduce harsher penalties for people who have been caught littering.

And Salford’s town hall agreed earlier this year to bring in the top sanction – worth up to £150 – for people who throw rubbish from their vehicles and drop litter on the ground.

Both offences were previously punishable by a fine of up to £80.

Under the change, the council will also be able to impose fines on the owners of vehicles from which the litter was thrown – even if it was done by someone else.

And that’s not all. The penalty for people who don’t clean up after their dogs is also rising from £80 to £100.

The increased fine is now up and running and the council is in the process of erecting signs to alert people to the change, while town hall staff are also being trained on reporting incidents when out and about.

Salford residents are also being encouraged to report individuals caught littering through the council’s website.