People caught urinating or spitting in the street could now face an £80 on-the-spot fine.

Waltham Forest Council has said its enforcement officers are to start to actively issuing Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) for the misdemeanours in same way they sometimes do for littering.

It comes after the council held a number of focus group events with residents last year on how to improve the borough.

Cllr Clyde Loakes, cabinet member for environment, said in a statement: "In the same way as in the past people would not have thought twice about throwing a cigarette butt on the pavement, or allowing their dog to leave a mess on a pathway, so I think we need to make spitting and urinating in the street completely taboo too."