Nine people were stung with fines yesterday as Government used the courts to clamp down on mosquito breeding sites.

However the session turned into farce for a moment when Magistrate Will Francis started to hand out fines bigger than the maximum allowed under the act.

After the hearing, Government Pest Control Supervisor David Kendell said the aim of court action was not to put the bite on people but to put the bite on mosquitoes.

Government wants to protect the Island from sometimes deadly pest-borne diseases like Dengue Fever and West Nile Virus.

He said every person in yesterday's session had been warned three times before ending up in court while one person had eight visits and another had six visits by Government inspectors.

Mr. Kendell warned Government might start going after people after the second time it happened.

He said although the $168 maximum fine was the maximum for the first offence many people thought the fine should be higher.

But Mr. Kendell warned repeat offenders could be hit with $400 fines and people could rack up fines for every day they had committed the offence.

He said: "Over 30 days it could be $900."

Six people were fined after pleading guilty for having standing water which harboured mosquitoes.

They included V.K. Richardson, 64, of St. Mary's Road, Warwick, who was fined $250 after being visited on four previous occasions by Heath Department inspectors over a 12-month period; and Joe Fagundo, 48, of Camp Hill, Southampton who was fined $200 for the same offence until he pointed out, after being prompted by a reporter, that the maximum was $168 under the Mosquito Regulations Act 1951.

Mr. Francis apologised for his error and said he thought the maximum fine was $268 and dropped the fine to $100.

But it was too late for V.K. Richardson who had already left the court building.

Asked what would happen to Mr. Richardson's fine, Mr. Francis told The Royal Gazette: "I don't know, it was a mistake. I don't know what else to say."

Asked the same question, prosecutor Graveney Bannister said: "I don't know. It's up to him."

Also fined for harbouring mosquitoes was Henry Alexander Thomas, 65, of Moongate Lane, Paget, who must pay $150 after having eight visits from health inspector.

Ethel Philips, 88, from Middle Park Lane, Pembroke and Howard Colin Harvey, 44, of Wellington Slip Road, St. George's must both pay $150 while Richard Olsen, 41, of Hinson Lane, Smith's, must pay $160.

Some of those appearing in court yesterday were charged with not having enough fish in standing water to eat mosquito larvae.

Somerset Cricket Club President Colin Smith, 44, was charged with this offence at the venue in Cricket Lane, Somerset, and was fined $168 while David Burrows, 54, was fined $100 for this offence at his home in Luke Pond Road, Southampton.

William Keith Hollis, 65, of Knapton Hill was given a conditional discharge after the court heard he was renting out his Harrington Hundreds property where the offence was committed and had taken steps to rectify the problem.

During the hearing it had been alleged that a Government site in Middle Road, Warwick was a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Mr. Kendell said Works and Engineering were on to it.