Each year, North Warwickshire Borough Council spends almost £627,620 cleaning up street litter. People can now be fined £500 if caught dropping litter, this includes cigarette ends.
I have been issued a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) for littering - I have heard that I don't have to pay the full amount if I pay it quickly? That is correct, the standard cost is £500, if it is paid within 7 days the cost is £250.
Can I appeal? There are no formal grounds of appeal. A FPN is an invitation for you to effectively cancel your liability to prosecution. This means if you agree that you have committed an offence and pay the fine, no further action (prosecution) will be taken. This saves both you and the courts time. The cost of a FPN is likely to be substantially lower than a court fine. The maximum penalty for littering is £2,500.
What if I don't agree that I committed the offence? In this case, it would be dealt with through formal prosecution. It will then be up to the court - on receiving evidence - to decide if a penalty should be imposed. If you appeal, you will take the formal court route. Please note: the financial penalty imposed by the Courts can be significantly greater than a FPN.
Why should I pay if there are no signs about littering in the area where I dropped it? We are not required to place signs tell people not to litter/inform them litter patrols are operating. Litter legislation has been in force for many years.
Why should I pay a FPN when there were no litter bins nearby at the time? We cannot place bins in every single street or road. We try to place bins where they are most needed: the town centre, school routes and major shopping areas.
I received a FPN for stubbing out a cigarette on the ground or discarding it, surely that can't be considered littering? Litter includes cigarettes and gum.
Cigarette stubs aren't really waste - they can't be placed in bins due to fire? You are responsible for ensuring they are extinguished before placing them in the bin. Many of our bins have stubbing trays on the top.
If I am caught, I will just pick the litter up and nothing will happen will it? Wrong: the offence relates to the dropping of litter and walking away once you have dropped it. Therefore you have committed an offence and will be issued with a FPN.
