Litter louts: "Pay up or face tougher fines" (From Echo)
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Litter louts: "Pay up or face tougher fines"
4:00pm Tuesday 12th March 2013 in News Exclusive By Jon Austin
Litter louts: "Pay up or face tougher fines"
A COUNCILLOR has warned litter louts who snubbed their fines to pay up now or face hefty charges when it goes to court.
Six people caught dropping litter or cigarette butts in the borough, who failed to cough up fixed-penalty fines, were each ordered to pay more than £400 at Basildon Magistrates Court.
The litter bugs could have got away with just a £50 fine of they had paid on time, but the council pursued them in court for non payment.
They were each handed £200 fines, plus a £15 victim surcharge and costs ranging from £189 to £252.
John Dornan, council cabinet member for environment, said: “People have got to realise that if they still owe fines they should come forward because the court is supporting our action and people are ending up paying around £450.”
One case was withdrawn, while another was adjourned so a Bulgarian interpreter could attend.
A council spokesman said: “There are still 100 people that we are taking to court. By paying now they could avoid similar fines and award of costs.”
The fines were originally dished out by private litter warden firm Xfor, which used staff including ex soldiers to patrol the borough’s streets.
Xfor was hired by the council as a year’s pilot scheme last April, but the contract was axed early in January as it was supposed to come at no cost to the authority which ended out forking out cash due to so many fines going unpaid.
Between April and July last year the service cost taxpayers £17,450.
Mr Dornan added: “Just because we have cancelled the trial, does not mean we are not going to chase people for the outstanding fines. These court results show we mean business and you will have to pay up.”
Comments are closed on this article.
Comments (19)
4:10pm Tue 12 Mar 13
Nebs says...
4:10pm Tue 12 Mar 13
firedog says...
before we drown in litter.
4:45pm Tue 12 Mar 13
DogsMessInLeigh says...
4:47pm Tue 12 Mar 13
Rochford Rob says...
5:41pm Tue 12 Mar 13
whateverhappened says...
5:49pm Tue 12 Mar 13
Basildon_Boy says...
6:22pm Tue 12 Mar 13
DrSpiffSpaffington says...
6:59pm Tue 12 Mar 13
whateverhappened says...
7:05pm Tue 12 Mar 13
abd123 says...
8:38pm Tue 12 Mar 13
Basildon_Boy says...
10:24pm Tue 12 Mar 13
Basildon_Boy says...
10:39pm Tue 12 Mar 13
heartbeat says...
10:42pm Tue 12 Mar 13
Carnabackable says...
10:02am Wed 13 Mar 13
BASILBRUSH says...
Make me mad seeing people chucking there wrappers from car windows, or ignorantly dropping wrappers. Use a bin!
Do you really want to live in a waste bin?
10:05am Wed 13 Mar 13
BASILBRUSH says...
Makes...
their not there
11:48am Wed 13 Mar 13
Basildon_Boy says...
12:34pm Wed 13 Mar 13
perini says...
1:10pm Wed 13 Mar 13
iknoweverything says...
“(8A)If an authorised officer of a litter authority proposes to give a person a notice under this section, the officer may require the person to give him his name and address. .
(8B)A person commits an offence if— .
(a)he fails to give his name and address when required to do so under subsection (8A) above, or .
(b)he gives a false or inaccurate name or address in response to a requirement under that subsection.
should someone really want to make a fuss then the litter patrol people could use s.3 criminal law act to detail someone:
(1)A person may use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances in the prevention of crime, or in effecting or assisting in the lawful arrest of offenders or suspected offenders or of persons unlawfully at large.
Police could then be called and make an arrest if name and address is not given or issue a fixed penalty if it is.
anyway, i dont see why these wardens were axed. they issued the tickets and people didnt pay them. so take the offenders to court and recoup your money! keep dishing the tickets out - cleaner streets and money in the councils pocket. it only falls down if the council cant be bothered to pursue the offenders.
8:41pm Thu 14 Mar 13
Basildon Council Communications says...
However unfortunately it's not viable to keep going with the trial and continuing to have to take hundreds of people to court every few months just to keep it cost neutral.