A Kent council has become the latest to hike fines in a bid to combat littering and make money.

Some authorities have recently upped the price of penalties to help plug financial blackholes amid funding cuts and the cost-of-living crisis.

And now Canterbury City Council is raising its fines from £150 to £200 in the city, Herne Bay and Whitstable

It means litter louts – and graffiti vandals – will face the new levy from January 1 but the cost will drop to £100 if paid within 14 days.

Canterbury already has some of the highest fines for littering across the county - with Ashford carrying a £75 fine, Dover £100 and £150 for a penalty in Tonbridge.

Fly-tippers will also be hit harder in the pocket when the new tariffs come into force on New Year's Day.

Those caught dumping household rubbish or unwanted furniture will be made to pay a £1,000 penalty - with no discount for paying quickly.

Money the local authority collects in fines is used to help to pay for investigating and removing fly-tipping.

City councillor Dan Watkins argues litter can negatively impact tourism and a “tough love” approach, by hitting offenders’ pockets, is the right step.

“Litter is a terrible scourge, it pollutes the environment and looks ugly, which is bad for residents and visitors,” said the Conservative.

“We are a tourist district and having litter in our parks and waterways looks bad and it’s also bad for wildlife of course, as they can get trapped in litter and it can be fatal.

“I am supportive of educating children in school about how important it is not to litter, but I think when it comes to adults, some people will only respond to tough love, which is a fine, and I think that it is proportionate to put them up by £50.”

Asked how the increase will solve matters, the Herne Bay councillor said the hike will help deter potential repeat offenders.

“If the fine is that much higher it will be more of a shock,” he said.

“So when someone who’s been fined £200 before thinks of going back to their old ways and casually tossing a drinks bottle into the river they’ll think ‘actually, no, that really hurt last time and I’m not going to do it again.’”

“I don’t like having to penalise people but I also don’t like seeing litter.”

City councillors on December 4 voted to increase litter and other waste fines.

Fly-tipping fines will also increase from £400 to £1,000, with reductions for prompt payments being removed.

In July, the government introduced new legislation which increased the maximum litter fine from £150 to £500, while hiking fly-tipping penalties from £400 to £1,000.

Several months later, Maidstone Borough Council bosses took advantage of the new rules, opting for the maximum fines in certain situations, making it the highest in Kent.

Most local authorities across Kent and Medway issue fines of between £100 and £150 for littering, but in Ashford and Dartford, litterbugs face a fixed penalty notice of just £75.