Ten people have been taken to court by Swale Borough Council (SBC) after littering.

The people were sent a fixed penalty notice for dropping rubbish by the local authority, which they failed to pay.

Despite reminder letters being sent out by the council, as well as a court summons, each of the defendants failed to pay the original fine.

The cases were brought before Maidstone Magistrates on Thursday, September 8.

Ben Adams from Ramsgate, Nick Krustins, Sarah Perry, Patricia Trout, Reginald Weekes, and Sarah Westcott, all from Sittingbourne, and Glen Lawson, Christopher Poole, Terry Portch, and Catherine White, all from Sheerness, were each fined £220.

They were each also ordered to pay a £22 victim surcharge, and £205 costs.

Councillor David Simmons, cabinet member for environmental and rural affairs at SBC, said: "People are always asking us to take action to tackle the problem of litter across the borough.

"The vast majority of people don't drop litter, but a small minority think it's okay to leave a mess for others to clear up.

"These cases show we won't hesitate to use the full extent of the law to get the message across that littering won't be tolerated in Swale - if we catch you, we will fine you."