July 21, 2011 3.38 pm This story is over 152 months old

Man fined £300 for littering cigarette butt

Butt nothing! The Council are warning motorists not to throw cigarette butts out of their windows, or else pay the fine.

A man was slapped with £300 in fines and costs by Lincoln Magistrates Court after he failed to pay a Fixed Penalty Notice for throwing a cigarette butt out of a car window.

Richard Smith was caught throwing the cigarette end out of his car by one of the City of Lincoln Council’s Enforcement Officers, who captured the incident on his in-car video camera.

Despite being given numerous chances, Mr Smith failed to pay a Fixed Penalty Notice of £75 and the case was heard in Lincoln Magistrates Court on Tuesday 19th July, where he did not attend.

The court ordered him to pay a £175 fine, £65 costs, £75 compensation and a £15 victim surcharge.

Tony Garner, Enforcement Officer at the City of Lincoln Council, said: “Too many people think that throwing cigarette ends out of cars is acceptable, but the sheer amount of used cigarettes on Lincoln’s streets leads to an unsightly mess.

“We’re sending out a strong message that littering in any form is not acceptable in Lincoln, and if we catch you, we will issue a Fixed Penalty Notice and are prepared to take you to court.

“This case is exceptional, but it shows the full penalty that people can pay for showing such disregard to the cleanliness of our city.”

Source: City of Lincoln Council