OFFENDERS who refuse to pay court fines will be stripped of their benefits in a bid to improve Hampshire's dismal record for collecting the money.

Hampshire was named and shamed for having one of the worst collection records in the country, with just 68 per cent of fines recouped in the year to March.

Now magistrates' courts will be allowed to deduct up to £5 a week from the jobseekers' allowance, income support or pension credit claimed by defaulters.

The move comes just weeks after the Daily Echo revealed that more than £9 million is outstanding in unpaid court fines in Hampshire.

Last month police launched a crackdown on fine dodgers called Operation Payback 2, which resulted in 151 people being dealt with in court and £117,000 in outstanding fines being reclaimed.

The £5 figure, to be introduced from December 18, is almost double the current £2.80 maximum.

Courts minister Christopher Leslie said the tough new measures would target areas with poor collection rates, while avoiding the "hardship" of imprisonment.

About 18,000 people across the country are expected to lose benefits at the rate of £5 a week, raising about £400,000 a year.

Mr Leslie said: "Victims of crime expect justice, the general public expects justice and the courts expect their orders to be obeyed.

"No one is above the law. The increase in deductions from benefits makes it very clear that fine default will not be tolerated under any circumstances."

Mr Leslie said the new measures would apply to new cases only. Deductions already being made for non-payment would continue at the old maximum amount.

Other deductions, including council tax, rent arrears, fuel costs, housing costs and water charges, mean that defaulters can lose up to £8.40 a week in total.

In a further crackdown from next year, magistrates' courts will be able to trace 'hard to find' defaulters by using data held by the Department for Work and Pensions. The courts already enjoy access to a credit reference agency database and will soon be able to tap into the police national computer.