17 March 2009

A litter bug in Chester was recently fined £350 plus £60 costs for dropping a cigarette butt on the street.

An Ellesmere Port woman was served with a £50 fixed penalty notice last November after a city council officer witnessed her dropping a cigarette butt. She failed to pay her fine and was prosecuted by the council earlier this month.

A recent study called Litterbugs, published by the influential Policy Exchange think tank and Campaign to Protect Rural England, says local authorities spend £500 million every year on cleaning up rubbish and companies in heavily littered areas are losing business while rubbish-strewn streets contribute towards increasing crime rates and anti-social behaviour.

The report goes on to criticise local authorities saying that only a minority are fining litter droppers.

‘Not so in Chester,’ says Councillor Pat Lott, chair of the environmental scrutiny committee, ‘anybody who drops litter in the Chester district can expect to be fined. We have spent a lot of time and money over the last two years getting the streets of Chester clean and will now take whatever measures are necessary to keep them litter free.’

The council will continue to hold enforcement days to highlight issues such as littering with the next one planned for the 18th March.

For more information contact Tim Braithwaite on 01244 402310.

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