Litter louts and shameless dog owners who fail to pick up after their pets are being targeted by new wardens patrolling a Kent district's streets.

Canterbury City Council has taken on a private company to dish out £150 fines to offenders across the city, Herne Bay and Whitstable.

It comes as figures reveal just 14 penalty notices were issued for littering in 2020, and just one for dog fouling between 2019 and 2021.

As well as cracking down on the long-running issues, National Enforcement Solutions will also enforce a controversial beach ban on disposable barbecues and glass bottles should the restrictions be imposed later this summer.

It will receive 70% of all revenue it generates through any fines, with the remaining 30% going to the city council.

Cllr Ashley Clark, the authority's lead on enforcement, said: "Good enforcement is the key to public confidence and we are pleased to have NES on board.

"In the past, offences relating to litter, dog fouling and public space protection orders did not get the attention that the law-abiding public expected and our district suffered.

"This is no longer the case and we will be directing these officers to problem areas. This means that our dedicated environmental enforcement staff can concentrate on more serious matters like flytipping that may need deeper investigation.

"For those who complain about these fines, our advice is simple. They are entirely avoidable - just stick to the rules and it won’t cost you a penny."

Figures obtained by KentOnline show just 14 fines were issued across the Canterbury district for littering and similar offences in 2020.

This number went up to 590 in 2021 after the council hired the services of a private enforcement firm in a move that generated £48,608 for the authority.

Kingdom LA Support was brought in for a three-month trial last summer, following which the council decided it would offer a year-long contract to the winner of a tender process.

Figures showed that during the first nine weeks of the trial, 96% of fines dished out by Kingdom were to people dropping cigarette butts.

Only one person was hit with a penalty notice for any other kind of littering – for dropping chewing gum.

The results fuelled claims Kingdom's wardens were "overzealous" and targeting smokers as "easy pickings".

And just last week the firm was criticised by a man fined £150 for throwing a cigarette end on the ground in Faversham, where the company also operates.

But Canterbury City Council leader Ben Fitter-Harding says such enforcement is "not a money-making exercise".

"Wardens won't be saying 'oh, we want to go to the centre of Canterbury as that's where we'll make the most money' - it's not about that," he said.

"This isn't a money-making exercise, it's not why this is being done.

"It's being done because this is what people want - they want a clean and tidy district. It's just good common sense.

"What I would love to see is no fines being given out at all. It would mean everyone is keeping the district tidy.

"I'm not a fan of rules and regulations for rules and regulations' sake. What we want is for people to take responsibility for the place that we live in."

Kingdom continued to carry out enforcement in Canterbury throughout the tender process, which saw four firms submit bids to take on the contract.

NES was chosen, with the council saying it received positive feedback from its counterparts in Basildon and Brentwood, where the company already operates.

The firm has been awarded a year-long contract, which started on May 3 and could be extended for a further 12 months.

Cllr Fitter-Harding said: "The council has been really, really careful in trying to procure a provider that won't be overzealous.

"We want penalties going to people for the things that really do cause the most problems.

"We really want to protect our district and make litter a thing of the past.

"Wardens will be responsive and sympathetic to the desires of the council in terms of how they undertake the work. We can dispatch them to areas where there are specific litter problems.

"Enforcement is a key issue so we need to demonstrate that we are doing that successfully."

Eoin Henney, operations director at NES, says the firm is "delighted to have been selected to carry out environmental crime enforcement" in Canterbury.

"We have a number of educational campaigns, as well as delivering positive enforcement to create awareness to the community," he added.

"Both parties are keen to work together for the same aims and objectives and we are very excited for the next 12 months working in partnership with the council."

The city council is currently considering whether to introduce new rules banning barbecues and beach bottles on the district's beaches.

A public consultation ended last Sunday, with a decision due to be made before the summer.

The measures - known as public space protection orders (PSPOs) - have proved controversial.

Earlier this month, the Whitstable Oyster Company threatened legal action against the council should it impose the restrictions on beaches the firm owns in the town.