Renfrewshire South MSP Tom Arthur has welcomed a new crackdown on litter and flytipping in the local area.

The new measures, which include more than doubling fines for flytipping to £500, have been brought in under the Scottish Government's six-year National Litter and Flytipping Strategy.

The programme sets out how national and local government, business, third sector, communities and individuals can work together to drive behaviour change, improve infrastructure and strengthen enforcement.

Other key measures include the introduction of new powers to impose a fine on the registered keeper of a vehicle from which a littering offence is committed and a new national online litter hub to provide information, advice and support to community groups and other relevant local organisations on tackling litter and littering behaviour.

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Mr Arthur, who represents the SNP, told The Gazette: "The Scottish Government is working hard to support Scotland's transition to a zero waste and circular economy by tidying up Scotland's streets and neighbourhoods; these strict new measures will help to keep communities in Renfrewshire South clean and safe.

"Renfrewshire South is a wonderful place to live, with a community to take pride in, but our neighbourhoods are so often besmirched by the selfish actions of a few, through reckless flytipping and littering, which impacts on everyone who lives here.

"More than doubling the fines for flytipping to £500 will surely help incentivise litterbugs to think hard before they dump rubbish onto our streets."