THE VALE council is set to hire a private contractor to tackle littering and dog fouling on the streets.

The council, who currently spend more than £1m per annum on cleaning streets, parks, beaches and public open spaces, have now offered a contract to private environmental enforcement company 3GS who will be enforcing a £75 fine for anyone committing an environmental offence such as littering or not cleaning up after their pets.

The council previously entered a similar agreement with XFOR.

At a meeting of the Vale cabinet this week, cllr Gwyn John presented a report which highlighted that the council has a legal duty to keep land clear of litter and refuse.

In a study by Keep Wales Tidy entitled "How clean are your streets?" the Vale's current cleanliness indicator stands at 69.9 which they say is favourable compared to the Welsh average.

Councillor Gwyn John, Cabinet Member for Visible, Leisure and Regulatory Services, said: “The latest Keep Wales Tidy figures show that the Vale of Glamorgan is has some of the cleanest streets in Wales. However, the Council still spends over £1m each year on cleaning our streets, beaches and public open spaces.

“This cost is unsustainable in the current, or indeed any economic climate, and this is why - to further discourage the anti-social crime of littering - we have now entered into an agreement with a private environmental enforcement company, 3GS.

“We will be working with 3GS primarily to undertake enforcement action, aimed at reducing littering, fly-tipping, dog fouling and other environmental crimes.

Councillor John added that the fine for those caught deliberately littering or failing to clean up after their dog will be a fixed penalty charge of £75.

He said: "This enforcement work will complement our anti-littering and anti-dog fouling campaigns and we are confident will bring even cleaner streets and public spaces for the Vale."