Police Community Support Officers could start fining litterbugs and dog owners who do not clean up after their pets if Sutton Council agrees to increase their powers.

Currently the borough’s PCSOs, who do not have the power of arrest, carry out high-visibility patrols, act as the eyes and ears for regular police officers and work in partnership with communities on issues such as anti-social behaviour, graffiti, noisy neighbourhoods, yobs or vandalism.

But the council’s sustainable communities scrutiny commitee has mooted an idea to use the officers to help clean up the borough.

It hopes that the threat of £80 on-the-spot fines will stop flyposters, dog fouling and littering, including throwing cigarettes and chewing gum on the ground.

The council’s Waste Awareness Team, which encouarges residents to recycle and minimise waste, could also be given the powers.

At a meeting of the Lib Dem executive on Tuesday, councillors backed the idea and agreed for further consultation with the Safer Sutton Partnership.

Deputy leader Ruth Dombey said: “There is certainly a problem at Sutton station where people coming out of the station eating their fast food then just chuck it on the pavement.

“There are other issues here and we need to think very carefullly, but there is a real call from the community to be seen to take enforcement action.”

Member for the environment councillor Colin Hall said enforcement would be a last resort, but that more to be done to tackle litter.

Detective Chief Superintendent Guy Ferguson said he didn’t have a problem with the idea, but said he would want PCSOs to “think about their traditional powers first”.

At the meeting Mr Ferguson also said he would consider having single patrols of police officers as opposed to the traditional pairings of officers, but this would not be possible until he had rolled out other priorities.

He said: “It is also cultural shift for us as the current strategy is to patrol in pairs.”

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