FOUR new enforcement officers will be tackling the borough's nuisances after councillors approved plans to extend its environmental enforcement service.

Last Thursday, Basildon Borough Council's cabinet voted to award a one-year trial contract to Xfor, a company specialising in supporting environmental enforcement teams.

The company will provide four officers to work alongside the council's existing five officers.

They will patrol the streets to issue fixed penalty fines to anyone caught littering, letting dogs foul streets and fly-tipping.

Councillor Malcolm Buckley, cabinet member for environment, said: "Increasing our presence on the streets sends a clear message that Basildon Council is determined to keep the streets tidy.

"This is a trial and we will be monitoring its effectiveness and impact on the cleanliness of the borough. We will also be watching the Xfor enforcement officers carefully to make sure they are behaving correctly and only issuing fines where appropriate.

"This is not about the council making money, it is about finding a smart cost-effective way to improve one of our key services. It is exactly the sort of innovative idea that we need to be trying out in these tough times."

The service comes at no cost to the council as the support and frontline enforcement staff will be employed by the contractor, which will receive the majority of the income from fines.