A council’s head of enforcement is calling for a dramatic hike of fixed penalty notices inspired by the tough stance in Singapore, where repeat offenders are slapped with £5,000 fines.

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Cllr Ashley Clark (Con) is calling for harsher measures to tackle the "national disease", which has blighted the district's parks, beaches and pavements.

The Canterbury city councillor said the maximum on-the-spot fine of £150 the city council can currently issue is "derisory" and failing to provide a proper deterrent.

It comes as the local authority reveals no fines have been issued this year for dropping litter.

"Anyone with vision that goes beyond this district will realise the problem with litter on our beaches is not just a local problem," Cllr Clark said. "It is endemic to much of the UK.

"In fact, it is a national disease and a national solution is called for."

He said "insufficient weight" is given to the seriousness of what is taking place across the country.

His comments follow sun-seeking louts leaving litter strewn across the district last month - with the council leader admitting the situation was "wholly unacceptable".

Some of the waste collections have been transferred to the council’s new company Canenco, which was created six months ago, and it was hoped this would improve things.

But Gorrell councillor Chris Cornell (Lab) called last month in KentOnline's sister paper, the Whitstable Gazette,for later pick-ups at seafronts to prevent overflowing bins being attacked by seagulls.

Cllr Clark said: "It is all very well the wringing of hands with the viewing of David Attenborough and our polluted seas and blaming councils for insufficient collections and bins.

"But that ignores the responsibility that we all share to take our rubbish home if bins are full."

Residents have long-complained about overflowing rubbish at beauty spots and there have been calls for different ways to tackle the issue, including £4,500 "big belly bins".

But Cllr Clark believes tougher enforcement will tackle the issue and has been inspired by Singapore's tough stance.

Notices of up to 2,000 SGD (£1,066.45) are dished out for the first offence, 4,000 SGD for the second (£2,132.90) and a staggering 10,000 SGD thereafter (£5,332.25).

"Our fines are derisory at £150 and fail to provide a proper deterrent," Cllr Clark added.

"Some will say that it will affect poor people more. Poverty does not confer a right to break the law and the maxim. 'If you can’t pay the fine don’t do the crime', applies."

He added a dramatic ramp up in fines would give local authorities the funding to support an "effective litter enforcement regime rather than scratching the surface as we do at present".

Canterbury City Council revealed no fines have been issued this year so far for dropping litter and only 11 were dished out last year.

Rob Davies, a spokesman for the authority, said: "The number of fines has to be seen in the context of the pandemic when we've not really had people out on the streets doing this kind of enforcement work over the last 18 months."

Meanwhile, a controversial private firm has been re-hired by the city council to issue fines to litter louts, fly-tippers and people failing to pick up after their dogs.

Kingdom LA Support will start work later this month on a three-month trial basis, to provide enforcement officers who would be dedicated to patrolling hotspots across the district.

The company was previously hired by the council between 2014 and 2016.

A memorable episode during that period saw "overzealous" workers fine a retired couple from Deal £160 for littering, after they dropped a handful of cherry stones on the floor, having enjoyed a bag of the fruit while sitting beneath a tree.

Councils across England were given the power to issue £150 fines in 2018, which was raised from £80.

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