SERIAL litterbugs could be named and shamed by the council and this newspaper if they do not clean up their act.

Following a bold move by a London council to publish a list of those prosecuted for littering, Brighton and Hove City Council has said it would consider following suit in extreme cases.

Councillor Emma Daniel, who heads the neighbourhoods committee, told The Argus that naming and shaming was “a step too far.”

But Councillor Andrew Wealls, who this week named and shamed someone on Facebook after litter was left behind, said the sooner people were held to account for such anti-social behaviour, the better.

On Tuesday, Bexley borough council released a list of 150 people successfully prosecuted and fined £56,000 in sum.

The offenders had been caught littering, refused to pay an £80 Fixed Penalty Noticed, and prosecuted and convicted through the courts.

In addition to greater fines, court costs, and a criminal record, the litterbugs have now been named by the council and the names reported by The Argus’s south London stablemate News Shopper.

Challenged over whether it would institute such a policy here, a spokesman for the city council said naming and shaming would “add little by way of a lesson” for people already fined for the offence.

However the spokesman stressed serious cases of fly-tipping would be publicised in the public interest, and he left open the door for identifying litterers, saying: “In the case of repeat offenders we would give serious consideration to making their details known.”

Cllr Daniel, who heads up the neighbourhoods, inclusion, communities and equalities committee, disagreed.

She said: “I don’t think naming people is something I’m comfortable about. I think if someone has been punished, that’s the end of it.

“Especially now, in the era of social media where you can share stuff and Google people.

“I can’t see the public interest. It’s not the same as a publishing a serious court case, where people should see a face and possibly know to fear a face. I can’t see the benefit of it.”

Earlier this week, Cllr Andrew Wealls posted a photo online of KFC boxes strewn over Palmeira Square, along with a receipt from takeaway courier firm Deliveroo which included the first name and last initial of the customer who ordered the food.

In his Facebook post Cllr Wealls wrote: “Thank you for leaving all this rubbish for all to enjoy and others to clear up.”

The Argus has chosen to redact the name and address shared by Cllr Weals since the customer cannot be proven to be responsible for the littering, nor does he necessarily live at the square to which the food was delivered.

We would of course publish names and addresses of those legally convicted of the offence of littering.

However Cllr Wealls told The Argus: “I find it thoroughly depressing the amount of litter in the city. If you walk down to the seafront after a warm weekend you can barely see the grass or the pebbles for plastic.”

In response to the suggestion of naming and shaming offenders, he said: “Great. The sooner people are held to account for this anti-social behaviour the better.”