A crackdown on litter will be launched in Redcar High Street on Saturday.

The cost of collecting litter every day from the High Street and promenade is becoming a serious cause for concern for Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.

For the next two Saturdays, police officers and litter wardens will patrol the streets armed with £25 fixed penalty fines.

The council and the police will be issuing guidance to the public and warning that prosecutions could follow using evidence from the town's CCTV cameras.

Councillor Sylvia Szintai, the council's lead member for environment and infrastructure, said: "We're not happy with the state of Redcar High Street, but we can't provide a complete cure.

"We are looking at our shift patterns for cleansing staff, but it's the public who must accept a share of the responsibility.

"We're not sure whether they realise it is an offence to drop litter, but we hope these two Saturday sessions will alert them to that fact."

Sergeant Nigel McCartney, of Cleveland Police, who is in charge of Redcar's bobbies on the beat, said they supported the council's initiative.

He said: "Of course, we'd rather educate people, rather than prosecute, but we must make sure that the message is understood. It's a criminal offence to drop litter."