While the number of litterbugs in Hong Kong has fallen significantly since the SARS outbreak and ensuing clean-up campaign, the Government is considering stiffer penalties for repeat offenders.

An average of 2,100 - 2,200 litterbugs have been prosecuted every month in post-SARS Hong Kong, as compared to 3,000 before. The head of the Clean Hong Kong office, Kelvin Choi, said on a Commercial Radio programme this morning that about 1% of them had been caught littering before.

Mr Choi said the Government is consulting the public on revising legislation to deal with these repeat offenders and people who habitually post bills illegally. It may consider community service orders.

Between March and September, the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department received more than 300 reports of people throwing rubbish from vehicles, and subsequently issued 340 prosecutions.

Mr Choi appealed to witnesses to mail details, including concerned vehicles' licence plate numbers, time and place of the offence, for the department to follow up.

Lanes behind catering businesses have been cleaned up, he noted. Still, from June to September, the department issued more than 1,000 summonses to offenders.

The department will consult the industry on reviewing the points system for operators who commit cleanliness offences.