THE parents of child litter louts are being sent warning letters if spotted dropping trash in the streets.

The letter contains the incident details, highlighting that littering is illegal and reminding the parent of a £75 fine if the litterbug happened to be over 18.

The scheme has been introduced by Colchester Council.

A spokesman said: “Seven letters have been issued since their introduction in 2015 as part of the Community Zone teams’ educational and enforcement work.

“None of these individuals have later been issued a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) for littering.

“We are not aware this approach is used elsewhere.

“The Zone teams’ enforcement work is police accredited, giving the power to request a name and address, and if this is not provided refer this as a matter for the police to pursue.”