Thousands of pounds worth of fines were handed out during a council crackdown on fly-tippers, rogue landlords and dirty restaurants.

Waltham Forest Council ran an “action day” last Thursday (July 27), during which more than £5,000 of on-the-spot fines were handed out by officers.

The council issued 50 penalty fines of £80 for littering across the borough, as well as three fly-tipping fines of £400 each.

In addition, 18 notices were given to deal with pest control, and nine food standards inspections were carried out, leading to one premises being voluntarily closed due to poor hygiene levels.

The council’s housing team also used the day to run a joint operation with the Metropolitan Police, with 18 homes revisited for non-compliance with the Councils Landlord Licensing Scheme.

For owners found to be in breach, the council will look to impose penalties of up to £30,000 under new powers given to local authorities.

Three unlicensed Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) were identified and seven properties were identified in poor condition, which will be subject to further enforcement action.

Cllr Clyde Loakes, deputy council leader, said: “We work tirelessly to keep the borough clean and safe.

“On days like this we and our partners go into a targeted area and really crack down on everything from food standards to littering.

“The message is quite clear; we want Waltham Forest to be a great place to live and for everyone to have a quality life.

“Those residents and businesses that jeopardise our ambition face penalties, closure and even the courts.”