A PIONEERING council crackdown which has seen 450 young litterbugs caught dropping rubbish in streets around their schools has won a prestigious award.

The Bolton Council scheme scooped the innovation prize at the ENCAMS (Environmental Campaigns) Cleaner Safer Greener Network Awards 2007.

It beat off competion from Leeds City Council, Birmingham City Council and Coventry City Council at a ceremony in Nottingham.

The campaign has involved enforcement officers patrolling hotspots and approaching youngsters seen dropping litter.

School staff have also been asked to identify other culprits on footage taken from CCTV cameras, while school assemblies have also been used to hammer home the anti-litter message to pupils.

The first time children are caught they are issued with a £50 fixed penalty notice, which is waived if they and their parents agree to the child being given a final warning.

If they are caught a second time, they are asked to pay the fine. A failure to pay or a third offence lands them in court.

The vast majority of the 450 cases so far have remained at the final warning stage, with only 15 resulting in payment of the fine and three dealt with through the courts.

Three cases have been referred to the Youth Offending Team.

An ENCAM report on the Bolton scheme said: "Bolton have shown they are at the cutting edge of establishing good practice in terms of their pioneering strategy, which aims to engage all juveniles 10 years and over in the work of the Environmental Education and Enforcement Unit.

"The guiding principle for Bolton is to deal with juveniles consistently, and in a manner appropriate to their age. They have successfully tapped into youth justice measures that are currently in place to deal with first time juveniles offenders."

Cllr John Byrne, Bolton Council's executive member for environmental services, said: "We're really pleased to have come out on top.

"This policy was something new and something Bolton has led on. I'm not aware of any other council which has done this."