Fines replace council yellow card

A two-month period during which Isle of Wight council staff have been showing yellow cards as a warning to anti-social residents has ended.

Now people caught committing offences will receive a fixed-penalty notice.

The yellow cards were handed out in advance of a new range of fixed penalties introduced on Wednesday.

People who leave refuse outside their homes on non-collection days, abandon vehicles, daub graffiti or fail to clean up after dogs now face fines.

'No excuse'

Others who can expect to be penalised include smokers dropping cigarette butts in public

Cash raised will be reinvested in the service where the offence was committed, the council said.

The new system comes into place under the Clean Neighbourhood and Environment Act 2005.

Councillor Diana Tuson, cabinet member for Safer Communities, said: "There is no excuse for committing offences under this act.

"We have adopted a two-month educative approach to highlight the new powers but now that has come to an end culprits can expect to be fined should they break the law."