The �50 fines are enforced by council inspectors

Patricia Mackey of Tidy Northern Ireland was speaking as on-the-spot penalties for dropping litter or failure to clean up after dogs were doubled to �50.

The new measures were introduced on Wednesday after a 12-week consultation period and bring the province into line with the rest of the UK.

Last year, Belfast City Council collected �6,775 through issuing �25 fixed penalty litter fines.

A spokesman from the Department of Environment said the regulations would act as a greater deterrent.

However, Ms Mackey said the new measures would only work if councils actively enforced them.

"We have called on the government to give the money from the fines back to the councils so they can use that to employ more enforcement officers," she said.

If they are not 100% sure of getting a prosecution, they won't bother taking one because they can't afford to lose Patricia Mackey Tidy Northern Ireland

Ms Mackey said some councils were not as proactive as they should be in issuing fines.

"A lot of councils would be loathe to take action if it meant they wouldn't get value for money for the resources they had to put in," she said.

Ms Mackey said certain parts of legislation gave them powers to prosecute establishments that dump litter, but there were many grey areas.

"If they are not 100% sure of getting a prosecution, they won't bother taking one because they can't afford to lose," she said.

For every person that gets a fixed penalty fine, they will let 20 other people know about it Sam Skimin Belfast City Council

"It would cost them money and therefore the benefits would be negligible."

A Department of Environment spokesman said the fines currently went to the Northern Ireland Block Exchequer.

He added that legislative moves were currently under way in Scotland and Wales to begin paying fines back into councils and that, in time, Northern Ireland may follow suit.

One council which has taken a more proactive approach is Belfast City Council, which launched a �300,000 anti-litter campaign earlier this month.

Sam Skimin, the council's Head of Cleansing Services, said the fines were being issued by its six enforcement officers but the penalties were only one part of the council's strategy.

"Going to fines is really only a last resort, but nevertheless, there are people who unfortunately ignore all our best endeavours to change behaviour," he said.

"For every person that gets a fixed penalty fine, they will let 20 other people know about it.

"People are sometimes quite surprised that we issue fines for littering, but we are quite proactive about it."

Out of 347 fixed penalties issued by the council last year, 271 were paid, while 95 fines have been issued so far this year.

Mr Skimin said such fines were given as a way of avoiding court.

"It's a bit like speeding fines: if you pay the fixed penalty, that is the matter dealt with," he said.

"If you don't, we will instigate court proceedings and you can be fined up to �2,500.

"Like any fixed penalty, if there is a reasonable and good excuse, we obviously wouldn't go through with the court action.

"Most people throw their hands up and say, 'fair cop, I got caught' and pay the fine."

Enforcement team

The council's enforcement team includes two city centre-based uniformed wardens who "tap people on the shoulder" and warn them.

"We don't aim to fine people - we want to stop them dropping litter in the first place," he said.

Mr Skimin echoed Ms Mackey's call for money generated by fines to be reinvested in anti-litter measures.

He said that the best way to deal with the problem was to change the attitudes of "the careless majority".