TEENAGERS who drop litter near their school have been slapped with hefty fines as part of a new crackdown.

Burnley Council has launched the clampdown in an attempt to tackle littering in parks and green spaces around schools.

This year a total of 14 youngsters have been hit with £75 fines and 18 under-14s have been given warning letters as an intial caution.

The crackdown was carried out by council park rangers near schools, including Shuttleworth and Hameldon Colleges, in recent weeks.

Offences included dropping food litter and cigarettes.

The initiative has been launched as part of the Clean Burnley campaign and is aimed at stamping out litter hot spots near schools in the borough, many of which include local parks and green spaces.

Simon Goff, Burnley Council's head of green spaces and amenities, said: "For a long time we have had serious problems caused by pupils from some schools dropping their litter in local parks and grassed areas near to school sites.

"This causes considerable inconvenience for both nearby residents and visitors, as well as causing problems for our maintenance staff.

"By taking enforcement action like this we aim to take effective action against the minority of pupils who think it is acceptable to drop their litter in public areas, particularly those areas which are designed for enjoyment by others."

Further enforcement initiatives are planned by park rangers around other local schools in the near future.

Mr Goff said: "Children under 14 who are caught dropping litter by our park rangers will be issued with warning letters but older children can expect to receive a fixed penalty notice.

"Hopefully by taking action like this we can help to make life easier for residents and protect a number of important beauty spots in the borough."