A ‘Big Brother’ watch caught two motorists on Cambridgeshire roads throwing cigarette butts out of their car windows. Each was fined £400. Both were seen – and reported – by an enforcement officer from South Cambridgeshire District Council.
The first driver to flick their cigarette end out of their car window was seen driving along the A10 Ely Road, Cambridge.
And other was driving on Cambridge Road, Fulbourn. The incidents happened on separate dates.
Both offenders were given the opportunity to pay a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of £150 rather than attend court for the offence.
Fines up to £2,500 are possible for littering
South Cambridgeshire Council warns on their website: “If you drop litter, you could receive an £150 fixed penalty notice or be taken to court and fined up to £2,500.
“Litter includes cigarette butts, crisp packets, cans, and other discarded items – it is unsightly, attracts vermin, and makes an area looked uncared for.
“Our enforcement officers work around the district, and if littering is witnessed, will take action where necessary.”
And the council invites the public to report offenders.
“You should tell us if you see someone littering,” says the council. “Please provide as much information as possible, such as what happened, where it happened, a description of the person dropping litter and their vehicle, if applicable.
“Do not confront the person yourself.”
Cllr Natalie Warren-Green, lead cabinet member for environmental services and waste, said: “Cigarette butts are made of plastic and do not biodegrade. They can contain a combination of chemicals including formaldehyde, nicotine, arsenic, lead, and copper.
“Every cigarette butt tossed to the ground is a tiny toxin that poisons our environment. These small acts of negligence accumulate, harming wildlife, polluting waterways, and littering our local communities. Please discard of cigarette butts responsibly.”
Cigarette butts make up two thirds of littered items
Figures from Keep Britain Tidy show cigarette butts make up two thirds of all littered items, with nearly three million cigarette butts thrown as litter in the UK every day.
Littering is an offence under section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and if convicted in a magistrate’s court carries a fine up to £2,500.
Latest studies and evidence from UK Government show that smoking related litter costs UK local authorities approximately £40 million per year to deal with.
