LOUTS beware – new powers will be introduced later this month allowing fines to be handed out for spitting, dropping litter and even walking too many dogs.
From December 14 the council's neighbourhood wardens will be allowed to issue on-the-spot fines of £75 for acts of antisocial behaviour in council housing.
Fines for people not picking up their dog's mess or controling their dogs will be fixed at £75 with no chance of reduced early payment – as has been the case until now.
A Croydon Council spokesman said of the powers: "They are being introduced to ensure residential areas are clean, tidy and pleasant places to live for council tenants and leaseholders. It's also about ensuring we are consistent with enforcement officers in other parts of the council."
Warbank Crescent resident Karl Fuller said fly-tipping in his area did need ending, but some fines might be difficult to enforce.
He said: "With fly-tipping it might help if you were threatened with a fine, but spitting you are not going to control. You are going to get quite a few appeals – where is the evidence that I spat on the floor?"
The new rules also cover one person taking more than four dogs out together. Ken Burgess, chairman of the Central Parade Business Partnership and owner of Burgess Boys Pet Care in Central Parade, said he could understand the measure, which has no exemptions for dog walkers.
He said: "To take ten dogs out on a lead I believe is not sensible – four dogs or maybe five might be ok but to take more than that out you cannot be expected to control them adequately."
The council added examples of "minor fly-tipping" were "mattresses, electrical items, bags of rubbish, small-scale building or garden waste."
There are six neighbourhood wardens working in New Addington and Fieldway, a spokesman added.
