Legal News
South Wales Mother Challenges Littering Fine (18 November 2011)
Date: 18/11/2011
A mother-of-three has been fined £465 for littering, after ordering that her case be heard in the courts of law. Tracey John was seen dropping a cigarette on the pavement near to her home by a litter enforcement officer. She refused to meet the cost of the £75 on the spot fine and her case was referred to the magistrates’ court. Yet, Ms. John refuses to pay the fine and is prepared to be handed a jail term, claiming that she is “sticking up” for smokers’ human rights.
Ms. John claims that she was handed the on the spot penalty, regardless of the fact that she picked up the cigarette from the pavement. When her case was referred to the magistrates' court, she refused to attend the hearing and in her absence was found to be guilty of the littering. She received a fine of £350, was ordered to meet £100 court costs and pay a victim surcharge of £15.
Council chiefs in Ms. John’s hometown of Pontrypridd in South Wales claim to be enforcing littering law and have warned that the dropping of cigarette ends constitutes an “eco-crime”. Rhondda Cynon Taf Council was recently found to have generated a total of £69,300 from issuing 844 fixed penalty fines for littering over the course of two years. Nigel Wheeler, the service director for Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Streetcare scheme, claimed that the council will not tolerate “eco-criminals” and will use its powers to eliminate such behaviours.
Duncan Lewis’ public law solicitors can provide legal advice to clients who have received littering fines.