Individual Fined Over £800 for Cigarette Littering

An individual has been directed to pay a sum exceeding £800 following an incident where a cigarette butt was discarded on a public thoroughfare. Carl Smith, a resident of New Addington in Croydon, located in south London, presented himself before Bromley Magistrates’ Court on 3 December. This appearance stemmed from his non-payment of a fixed penalty notice issued for discarding the cigarette butt in Market Square, Bromley, on 23 May. Mr. Smith admitted guilt to violating Section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and received an order to pay £833. This total comprised a fine of £293, an additional surcharge of £117, and £423 allocated for costs, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. This particular case marked the 12th prosecution initiated by Bromley Council for littering offenses since early September, with those found guilty collectively paying £6,129. This latest occurrence comes after two comparable incidents reported last month, where a woman from Lewisham and a man from Orpington were each mandated to pay £731 for discarding cigarette butts within the borough earlier in the year. Angela Page, Bromley Council’s executive councillor for public protection and enforcement, stated: “We have no desire to prosecute anyone, but littering is a serious problem… with street cleaning costs running into millions.” She further commented: “We would encourage everyone to find a litter bin or take their rubbish home as we need to put a stop to littering in our borough.” For more content, listeners can access the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London across its platforms on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story submissions can be sent to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding its policy on external linking is available.