Cheshire East Council has issued nearly £100,000 worth of fines in relation to littering, dog fouling and fly tipping in the year up to the end of March.

It has also been revealed that in the same period 302 cases were referred for prosecution due to the non-payment of fines out of a total 1,187 which were issued.

The fines are issued by a private firm, Kingdom Services Group, and a Freedom of Information request submitted to the council has revealed that the council's contract with the firm has been extended until March 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The response from the council said that while the total figure of fines issued sits at £96,320, it does not reflect the amount collected.

A breakdown of the fines issued shows the vast majority were for littering across the borough at 1,129, compared to just 56 for dog fouling.

Environmental enforcement officers have the powers to issue £80 on-the-spot fines for those caught littering or dog fouling.