New £75 fines for littering from your car come into force TODAY (even if it wasn't you)

Drivers face a stiff £75 for litter thrown out of their cars – even if it wasn’t them that chucked it.

Tough new government measures to tackle litter louts would see car owners punished for the actions of their passengers.

The power to fine owners of cars from which passengers have thrown litter are already in operation in London.

Officials across the rest of the country must prove who in the car threw the rubbish.

And anyone caught throwing rubbish on the streets could receive a fine of up to £150 – an increase of current levels of between £50 and £80 set by councils across the country.

A default level of £75 will apply if the council does not specifically set its own amount.

Commenting on the first national litter strategy, that is aimed at slashing the nearly £800million annual clean-up bill, Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom said: “Litter affects us all, harming wildlife, polluting seas, spoiling towns, and giving visitors a poor impression.

“Our strategy will tackle this by building an anti-litter culture, making it easier for people to dispose of rubbish, and hitting litter louts in the pocket.”

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Other proposals out for consultation include forcing fly-tippers to pick up other people’s litter as part of community service punishments.

However, it is not just residents who will see changes in litter rules as councils will be banned from charging householders for the disposal of DIY household waste at local dumps.

The move is set to infuriate local authorities who rely on the cash after Government cuts.

Top pic: Flickr