Councils across England handed out more than 165,000 litter fines in just one year, as Brits continue to illegally discard their rubbish- but do YOU think there should be tougher penalties?
Research from Quotezone.co.uk has revealed exactly how many fines councils issue across each region as they attempt to tackle the alarming problem. The findings, which were based on a series of Freedom of Information requests by Clean Up Britain, reported that 56,354 fines were given out to London litterers in 2021/22.
Lambeth was the London borough with the worst offences, with more than 18,100 people being faced with £150 on-the-spot fines. The South East of England had the second highest littering fines at 28,357, with Milton Keynes and Medway being the worst offending areas.
The East of England claimed third spot at 19,805 litter fines, and Harlow had the most fines issued. Following closely behind is the North West with 17,013 offences, despite the average littering fine costing £114.
Around 10,521 of these were recorded in Manchester, which is four times higher than any other area in the region. Yorkshire and Humber had the fifth most offences, with 11,695 dished out to litterers, mostly in the Kingston upon Hull area.
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There were more than 10,900 littering offices issued in the West Midlands, and Dudley had the highest fines at 4,143. The East Midlands, South West and West of England came up as some of the least-punished areas, with each region handing out less than 10,000 fines. However, the North East had the lowest recorded offences, with just 1,484 fines.
Concerningly, the data found that 21 percent of councils issued zero fines for littering, suggesting that some regions are turning a blind eye to the problem. Greg Wilson, founder of Quotezone.co.uk said: "Littering is an environmental crime and we support local authorities taking action by giving on-the-spot fines to those found at fault.
"A recent Quotezone survey showed 75 percent of people thought litter in their area was getting worse – with 73 percent saying they’d actually witnessed someone littering. Those found at fault will be given a fixed penalty notice (FPN) from their local council or similar authority, explaining the offence and the penalty they are liable for.
"The punishment for littering crimes is different across the country. A FPN for littering is usually £150, but in July 2023 the government increased the upper limits which means those caught littering can now be fined up to £500."
He added: "Our survey also found a shocking 82 percent had seen someone throw litter out of a car window. Rule 147 of the Highway Code says drivers must not throw anything out of a vehicle, including cigarette ends, because it can endanger other road users."
The National Highways recently launched a campaign to discourage littering, with a focus on the potential harm to wildlife. The RSPCA and Keep Britain Tidy are supporting the campaign, which has the message: "Lend a paw - bin your litter".
The government agency has warned that three million animals are killed by litter every year in the UK, as they get trapped in bottles and cans. Chief executive Nick Harris labelled the crime a "dreadful social problem", adding: "We’re working hard to tackle it on our roads, with our people litter-picking every day.
"But if people don’t drop litter in the first place it wouldn’t need to be picked up – so we urge road users to take their litter home." Do you think there should be tougher fines for littering? Vote in our poll HERE to have your say.
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