FINE-DODGERS will be targeted this week in a joint campaign to crack down on criminals who refuse to pay.

Operation Payback begins today to find those who flout punishments imposed by the courts.

Throughout the campaign, enforcement officers from magistrates' courts will be working with Cleveland Police to track down and arrest people who have failed to pay fines on time.

The blitz co-incides with Inside Justice Week and is running at the same time as a regional and national advertising campaign warning offenders of the consequences.

Colin Monson, area director of Her Majesty's Courts Service, said: "All our courts are geared up to make this latest phase of Operation Payback a success.

"People need to understand that we now have valuable sources of information to help us track down defaulters, for example, the Police National Computer and the Department for Work and Pensions' systems.

"It is becoming much easier to find offenders who are trying to avoid meeting their obligations under a court order. The message to people is simple - pay up before we knock on your door."

The fines blitz - the third of its kind - is part of the Government's national Payback campaign to recover criminals' assets and prevent money laundering.

The first two Operation Paybacks netted £2.5m and resulted in a significant number of fine-dodgers coming forward for months afterwards.

Cleveland chief constable Sean Price said: "It is particularly appropriate that Operation Payback is being launched at the start of Inside Justice Week because it is an example of how we can work together to bring offenders to justice and enforce punishments.

"Nationally, around 81 per cent of court fines are collected, but latest figures show that in Cleveland we are doing significantly better than that.

"However, this doesn't mean we should be complacent."

He said that between April and August this year, 94 per cent of financial penalties were paid in Cleveland.