LETTERS have been sent to residents warning them they face fines if they put out their rubbish at the wrong time.

Gordon Morris, Malvern Hills District Council's street scene manager, has sent letters to residents in a number of areas where rubbish bags have been sighted on streets up to six days before they are due to be collected.

The letters warn that residents face a fixed penalty of £75 for littering if they put rubbish bags out anytime other than the day of collection, or the evening before.

"Sometimes people are putting rubbish out almost immediately after that week's collection has taken place," he said.

"That's when you start to get cats and rats coming and gnawing at the bags, which can cause health hazards."

Matthew Cook said the letters had concerned residents of Clayfield Drive, where rubbish is collected at 7.30am on Tuesdays.

"We normally put our rubbish out at the top of our drive anytime during Monday," he said.

"It never overflows onto the pavement or the road, but we are concerned we will be fined even though it is on our own property."

Mr Morris said the fixed penalties only applied to rubbish on the street and the council was simply trying to tidy up areas where rubbish was considered a problem.

"In areas where we've done this before, such as Elgar Avenue, we've noticed a big improvement," he added.

"People start taking total pride in their gardens, when before they may have been something of a mess."