TWO Test Valley men have been made to pay a total of around £5,000 after borough council bosses took them to court for littering.

Nathan Jennings denied dumping a number of leaflets in Nursling in November last year, and Alastair Bark admitted dropping his litter off a bridge into a watercourse in Romsey back in May.

Both men were made to pay four-figure sums for their crimes.

It comes amid an effort from Test Valley Borough Council to crack down on fly-tipping and littering across the borough following waste dumped in a cemetery and fridges left in a field this year.

In November 2017, Nathan Jennings dumped hundreds of leaflets in Redbridge Lane, but denied the offence.

On September 6, at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court, Jennings was found guilty in his absence and ordered to pay a £660 fine, £66 victim surcharge and £3,290 in costs.

On November 13 last year, the council responded to the reports of a large pile of leaflets, and following an investigation, identified Jennings as the offender.

In May, Alastair Bark dropped litter into the water in Romsey, and admitted his guilt by submitting a letter to magistrates in Basingstoke last week.

He was ordered to pay a £120 fine, £30 victim surcharge and £875 costs.

Originally, Bark was issued with an £80 fixed penalty notice, but failed to pay and ended up in court. He was caught red-handed dropping his litter by a member of the Environment Agency.

Environmental portfolio holder, cllr Graham Stallard, said: "We take a hard line with all forms of littering as there really is no excuse for it. Littering is unsightly, unacceptable, and it can pose a danger to wildlife.

"I hope that those who consider committing such an offence take heed and think twice. Anyone seen littering will be given a fixed penalty notice and those who refuse to pay it will be taken to court."

Speaking on the case of Mr Jennings, leader of the council Phil North added: "The significant costs and fine in this case should hopefully act as a deterrent to those thinking of disposing of their waste illegally."