A total of 23 people from Pendle have been found guilty and fined a combined total of £20,306.83 for littering bags of household waste on the borough’s back streets.
A Fixed Penalty Notice for breaching Section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 had been issued to all the offenders, who then failed to make the payments.
The cases were forwarded to court. All offenders failed to attend, and in their absence, they were found guilty.
The £20,306.83 was made up of £9,900 in fines, £6,446.83 in costs and £3,960 in victim surcharge.
David Walker, Pendle Borough Council's Assistant Director of Operational Services, said: “The number of prosecutions show how hard our enforcement officers are working to improve the local environment – and the level of prosecutions show how seriously the courts deal with offenders.
“We ask that residents use the services we provide and do not leave their waste or recycling on Pendle’s streets.”