On-the-spot £50 fines are being proposed for people dropping cigarette butts and chewing gum on Brighton and Hove streets.

A new team of litter enforcement officers has dished out 157 fines to householders and businesses since their introduction at Easter but the crackdown is not tough enough.

Paul Elgood, Liberal Democrat leader on the city council, wants wardens hired to slap tickets on individuals caught dropping sweet wrappers, cigarettes or fast-food cartons.

Coun Elgood said: "The city is easily one of the dirtiest in Britain and our six-person team is simply not large enough."

Mr Elgood wants get-tough measures similar to those introduced in Leicester and Darlington.

He said: "I want the same fines in Brighton and Hove. We need to break the mould and after a few weeks of enforcement I think many people will start policing themselves."

A spokesman for Darlington City Council said: "If you walk down our streets you'll find them clean. I came to Brighton and Hove recently. It is a great place but it looked scruffy and dirty."

Darlington introduced street fines last year as part of its efforts to combat antisocial behaviour including dog fouling and yobbery.

Street wardens walk with uniformed police officers as they confront individual offenders. Some wardens have been threatened and at least one has been assaulted but the city claims the blitz is working.

The spokesman said: "We were spending £1 million cleaning streets and we decided to spend some of that money instead on stopping the problem in the first place."

The Government is considering allowing councils to reclaim fines to pay for anti-litter initiatives. It is considering naming and shaming councils it considers are not doing enough to tackle the problem.

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said it was not considering introducing on-the-spot fines for litter droppers.

He said: "We are actively pursuing people making a mess.

"A new team of six enforcement officers have been working since Easter, focusing on residents and businesses who are making a mess of the city. Since Easter they have issued 157 fixed £50 penalties, 21 of these to domestic premises and the rest to businesses.

"During June they made 277 visits to locations regarding complaints.

"Typically, this would involve checking that a business had proof they had engaged a commercial waste contractor as they are obliged. Councils do not collect trade waste.

"In July we sent out more than 450 letters to untidy residents or traders making a mess with their rubbish.

"Summer is always the worst time, partly because animals and gulls are more active and partly because the heat causes smells. Residents understandably complain.

"Landlords or residents clearing vacated rented houses are also a problem, with some dumping old furniture in the street. We'd urge people to report that to us.

"We have a very high turnover of people leaving homes for new ones and they often don't know when their rubbish collection day is. So we'll often write to a whole street where there's a problem.

"We appreciate residents' help in reporting illegal waste dumping."

The spokesman urged anyone seeing rubbish which needs clearing up to call Cityclean's helpline on 01273 274 674.