No butts - litterbug fag smokers crushed (From Worcester News)
Get involved! Send your photos, video, news & views by texting WN NEWS to 80360 or e-mail us
No butts - litterbug fag smokers crushed
10:00am Thursday 23rd August 2012 in News By Tom Edwards
No butts - litterbug fag smokers crushed
FOUR people have been slapped with £80 fines for dropping cigarette butts in Worcester as part of a crackdown on litterbugs.
All of them were caught red-handed in the city centre in July, with council chiefs insisting they will not “turn a blind eye” to people flouting the rules.
The city council’s civil enforcement officers have also dished out 15 warnings to people spotted dropping rubbish since the spring.
The four handed fines are the first to have been hit in the pocket since the officers started actively punishing people for littering from April.
Although the authority first adopted powers to fine people for littering in 2011, they vowed to start off with a “softly softly approach” to enforcement at the time.
Councillor Roger Knight, cabinet member for cleaner and greener, said: “We are certainly not turning a blind eye to it – we always said we’d start off with a period of education and encouragement before moving to enforcement.
“Many people have asked us to start doing this, so we are. We’re responding to public demand by handing out fines.
“Eighty pounds is a lot of money, but it doesn’t take much for people to moderate their behaviour so they don’t litter.
“Questions have been asked of us and I’ve seen it reported in the letters page of the newspaper.
“We realise we’ve got to deliver.”
The Government handed town halls powers to fine people up to £80 for littering under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act.
In Worcester, the city council allows those punished to pay a fee of £50 if they fork out within 14 days.
Coun Pat Agar, the Labour group’s environmental spokesman, said: “We do need better education in schools on this issue.
“Having said that, I realise it’s not just children but in many cases, adults who litter and for those who refuse to budge, the fines are about right.
“I’m generally in favour of it, and although £80 is a bit excessive, we do need a deterrent.
“Most people hate litter and find it loathsome.”
About 20 tonnes of litter are collected every week from streets and open spaces in Worcester. The annual clean-up costs are about £1.2 million for the city’s taxpayers.
The civil enforcement officers have now been handed bikes so they can get around quicker on patrol.
Comments(34)
CJH
says...
10:33am Thu 23 Aug 12
anonymous99%
says...
11:46am Thu 23 Aug 12
dulon
says...
12:04pm Thu 23 Aug 12
It is astonishing the amount of fag ends and packets that are discarded there.
Hwicce
says...
12:44pm Thu 23 Aug 12
What are the Enforcement staff doing the rest of the time, having a quick fag round the back of the bike sheds?
They should be issuing 4 an hour, and while they're at it how about the illegally parked cars, taxis, other litter droppers, dog messers etc etc?
Arthur Blenkinsop
says...
12:54pm Thu 23 Aug 12
anonymous99% wrote:There are already fag bins all over the place, and, if you can afford to spend £6-7 a day on ciggies, then you can afford to pay a fine for littering.
£80 is a little pricey in the current climate but I suppose the money will go towards placing cigarette bins on every street corner. I'd also imagine the amount of call outs the fire service will receive due to rubbish bins fires will also rise. Just something to consider I suppose.
jungalist
says...
4:20pm Thu 23 Aug 12
WorcesterCityCouncil
says...
4:31pm Thu 23 Aug 12
jungalist wrote:Hi there, our Civil Enforcement Officers do now have the power to give fixed penalty notices to people who drop any litter. It's coincidence that the first few notices have all gone to people who have dropped cigarette butts.
So how about on the spot fines for all people dropping littler not just making an example out of the smokers as usual. How about fines for vommitting after a heavy night out to all you drinkers, or chewing gum spitters.That is more offensive to my eyes and nose than a fag but on the floor. Its all relative.
Natasha86
says...
4:49pm Thu 23 Aug 12
if there isn't a suitable place to correctly dispose of them what are you supposed to do???
If more bins where to be placed around the Worcester area and still people contined to discard them on the floor then yes a fine would be acceptable!!
Natasha86
says...
4:52pm Thu 23 Aug 12
Arthur Blenkinsop wrote:As far as I'm aware the only place that has convieniently placed bins for cigarette ends is the town centre!! I don't see many others scattered around, until these bins become readily available then where are you supposed to discard the ciggarette end???
anonymous99% wrote:There are already fag bins all over the place, and, if you can afford to spend £6-7 a day on ciggies, then you can afford to pay a fine for littering.
£80 is a little pricey in the current climate but I suppose the money will go towards placing cigarette bins on every street corner. I'd also imagine the amount of call outs the fire service will receive due to rubbish bins fires will also rise. Just something to consider I suppose.
CJH
says...
5:03pm Thu 23 Aug 12
Natasha86 wrote:Excuses, excuses...
Arthur Blenkinsop wrote:As far as I'm aware the only place that has convieniently placed bins for cigarette ends is the town centre!! I don't see many others scattered around, until these bins become readily available then where are you supposed to discard the ciggarette end???anonymous99% wrote: £80 is a little pricey in the current climate but I suppose the money will go towards placing cigarette bins on every street corner. I'd also imagine the amount of call outs the fire service will receive due to rubbish bins fires will also rise. Just something to consider I suppose.There are already fag bins all over the place, and, if you can afford to spend £6-7 a day on ciggies, then you can afford to pay a fine for littering.
Natasha86
says...
5:06pm Thu 23 Aug 12
I'm not even a smoker but this story has made me feel the need to comment!
CJH
says...
5:07pm Thu 23 Aug 12
Natasha86 wrote:You extinguish the cigarette and take it home with you. As you should with all litter. No excuses.
Excuses?? Ummm not really its a valid point! i think many people would agree its easy enough to slap the fine on people but not put them selves out to supply solutions!!! I'm not even a smoker but this story has made me feel the need to comment!
Natasha86
says...
5:10pm Thu 23 Aug 12
CJH
says...
5:24pm Thu 23 Aug 12
Natasha86 wrote:Of course, what else would I do with it? Throw it on the ground? It would never even cross my mind to do that. Surely you wouldn't? That would be antisocial, abhorrent and disgusting! And people who do it deserve to be fined.
So if there wasn't any rubbish bins around you would be happy to accept that you had to carry your litter around all day with you??? I doubt it
Natasha86
says...
5:36pm Thu 23 Aug 12
That's all I'm doing is raising a complaint that there should be more cigarette bins accessible!
No point in fining people when there isn't any attempt to help solve the issue, like I said in previous comments If there was more bins provided and still people chose to discard them on the floor then yes a fine is definitely acceptable!
Hamilton60
says...
5:39pm Thu 23 Aug 12
mod1979
says...
5:50pm Thu 23 Aug 12
mod1979
says...
5:58pm Thu 23 Aug 12
mod1979 wrote:Oh forgot to mention this his how our roads and paths are also littered with fag butts.
What about a danger to other road users. I am a scooter rider that was hit with a lighted cigarette discarded from the vehicle in front of me, I take it cars do have ashtrays? but then again how far do we take things, I am sure no malice was intended by the driver but this how accidents happen.
CJH
says...
6:28pm Thu 23 Aug 12
Jabbadad
says...
7:04pm Thu 23 Aug 12
Now what about these cats that frequently go into someone else's garden to pooh?
MissMini
says...
7:50pm Thu 23 Aug 12
So how about on the spot fines for all people dropping littler not just making an example out of the smokers as usual. How about fines for vommitting after a heavy night out to all you drinkers, or chewing gum spitters.That is more offensive to my eyes and nose than a fag but on the floor. Its all relative.
"Hi there, our Civil Enforcement Officers do now have the power to give fixed penalty notices to people who drop any litter. It's coincidence that the first few notices have all gone to people who have dropped cigarette butts."
I agree with you jungalist. And so can the Council please send these officers to St Johns, to fine the students who deposit pavement pizzas after a skinful of cheap nighclub booze.
Captain Thrap
says...
9:22pm Thu 23 Aug 12
robby1234
says...
11:04pm Thu 23 Aug 12
A surcharge should be levied on all fast food outlets to cover the cost of clean up their rubbish which must make up the vast majority of litter.
Walking through my local park the other evening there was a discarded Pizza box which represented 1 piece of litter. The next day the grass cutters came in and mowed over the box. Result? One thousand pieces of litter ????????
Wanton littering and dog fouling should attract a £1000 fine. Give traffic wardens the power to impose these fines. After all, they have set records for issuing parking fines this year.
robby1234
says...
11:12pm Thu 23 Aug 12
Hamilton60 wrote:I was in Singapore recently and just amazed how clean it is.
I used to smoke and I used to put the cigarette out and put the butt back into the fag packet. My kids were brought up to take their rubbish to a bin or take it home especially after a picnic, and they have carried that into adulthood. Singapore have issued on the spot fines for anyone littering or throwing cigarette butts on the street for at least 40 years and chewing gum is banned because of its environmental damage and danger to animals..
No litter whatsoever, no graffiti either.
You are in big trouble if you do litter but the people just don't do it.
robby1234
says...
11:16pm Thu 23 Aug 12
dulon wrote:The entrance to the Royal is disgusting. It's ankle deep in fag ends some days. However, most of the butts are disgarded by the inmates coming outside for a nicotine fix.
Could they implement this policy outside worcs royal hospital too ?
It is astonishing the amount of fag ends and packets that are discarded there.
Jabbadad
says...
12:17am Fri 24 Aug 12
But the most surprising are the staff members / nurses who must know what harm (Kills) smoking does, yet who are still there having a puff.
Tinksey
says...
2:38am Fri 24 Aug 12
M@lvernite
says...
7:06am Fri 24 Aug 12
mr.meldrew
says...
9:48am Fri 24 Aug 12
Guy66
says...
9:59am Sat 25 Aug 12
Jabbadad wrote:Catch the cat and rub it's nose in it's own mess - that works!
Similar lame excuse, not enough bins, given by lazy dog owners who would not carry doggy bags or poop-a-scoopers. They are actually responsible for picking up the mess and if there are no bins available for taking the mess home. End of Story.
Now what about these cats that frequently go into someone else's garden to pooh?
Vox populi
says...
10:33am Sun 26 Aug 12
Years ago as a none smoker you had the choice not to frequent a smokey pub etc, smokers now have no choice and smoke outside yet still people complain.
The littering issue is valid there are bins that should be used but really are they the only offenders or a socially acceptable easy target?!!
worcester.80
says...
1:00pm Mon 27 Aug 12
Natasha86 wrote:When i was a smoker (a good 7+ yrs ago) i would carry a small cheap baccy tin in my bag or pocket to carry fag buts in and then empty when i got home, and even now if i'm going out with my children for the day i take a empty carrier bag with me to put all rubbish in just in case no bins are near by so like others have said no excuse for littering of any kind
I mean I'm sure you would raise a complaint that there was no access to a litter bin??!
That's all I'm doing is raising a complaint that there should be more cigarette bins accessible!
No point in fining people when there isn't any attempt to help solve the issue, like I said in previous comments If there was more bins provided and still people chose to discard them on the floor then yes a fine is definitely acceptable!
ushmush83
says...
10:03am Tue 28 Aug 12
No excuses obviously, but compare the damage done to the streets by a tax paying, working family man dropping a rolly in the middle of the day, to that of the hordes of drunken idiots littering the streets with mulitiple fags, drinks and fast food. And the police stand there and watch these people do these things. I just don't think it's fair personally.
Arthur Blenkinsop says...
10:06am Thu 23 Aug 12