A man has been ordered to pay over £800 after discarding a cigarette butt on the street, resulting in a prosecution by Bromley Council.
Carl Smith, a resident of New Addington, Croydon, appeared at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on December 3. The court proceedings followed his failure to pay a fixed penalty notice for littering, specifically for dropping a cigarette butt in Market Square, Bromley, on May 23.
Violating Section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990
Smith pleaded guilty to violating Section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. He was fined £293, with additional penalties including a £117 surcharge and £423 in court costs, bringing his total financial liability to £833. This information was confirmed by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
This case marks the 12th littering prosecution by Bromley Council since early September. Collectively, these cases have resulted in fines amounting to £6,129.
The incident follows similar cases from the previous month when a woman from Lewisham and a man from Orpington were each ordered to pay £731 after being found guilty of dropping cigarette butts earlier in the year.
Throwing cigarette on street
Angela Page, Bromley Council’s executive councillor for public protection and enforcement, commented on the matter: “We have no desire to prosecute anyone, but littering is a serious problem… with street cleaning costs running into millions.”
Page urged residents to be more mindful of their waste disposal: “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.”
A Bromley Council spokesperson said: “On behalf of residents, the council has street-cleaning teams working seven days a week across the borough, keeping our streets neat.
“Littering undoes this work and is illegal, with our enforcement team issuing a fixed penalty notice to anyone seen littering.
“If payment is not received then prosecution will follow, with fines and costs being considerably higher than the fixed penalty notice.”
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