A burger bar has been fined £700 for allowing its rubbish to litter the pavement.

Wimpy on Blatchington Road, Hove, was also ordered to pay cost of £620 at Brighton Magistrates Court yesterday for failing to dispose of its trade waste properly.

The manager of the branch, Rajendran Somasundaram, pleaded guilty to failing in his duty of care to prevent the escape of trade waste under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

The case was brought by Brighton and Hove City Council's enforcement team which found bags of waste from Wimpy littering the pavement in July.

The team had paid several visits to the branch earlier in the year to discuss waste storage and had already issued Wimpy with a penalty notice.

It is a benchmark case for the team because it is the first time a trader has been prosecuted for this kind of offence in Brighton and Hove since the team was set up in March.

Kerry Rickman, the enforcement officer who dealt with the case, said: "Bringing this case to court highlights the importance the council places on ensuring businesses meet their obligations under the Act.

"The successful outcome will send a clear message to other businesses who do not heed the law that the team will take firm action as part of a continuing programme of improvement within our city."