NEW powers are to be given to Bolton's civilian Police Community Support Officers so that they can issue on-the-spot fines to litter louts, graffiti sprayers and dirty dog owners.

A total of 80 uniformed PCSOs will be working in the town by the end of the year.

A report also recommends that more council officers be given training and the power to issue fines.

Cllr John Byrne, Bolton Council's executive member for environmental services, said: "We hope that the new powers will act a deterrent.

"This is very much a joint collaboration between ourselves and the police who have expressed a lot of enthusiasm about working together."

The full list of offences for which PCSOs would be allowed to issue fines are littering, failure to remove dog faeces, failure to keep a dog on a lead, allowing a dog to enter a designated area, failure to put a dog on a lead when directed by an authorised officer, graffiti spraying and fly posting.

The powers of PCSOs currently extend only as far as being able to detain suspects, although they do not carry handcuffs, batons or CS spray.

Police chiefs in Greater Manchester took the decision last year to issue body armour to PCSOs.

The decision to grant stab vests was made after PCSO Gary Etchells, aged 47, was stabbed when he went to assist with an eviction in Stalybridge on Monday, December 4 last year.