A man who dropped a cigarette butt on moorland in the height of summer, despite being just metres away from a waste bin, has been prosecuted and fined.
Council bosses who took Adnan Ali to court described his actions - set against a backdrop of devastating moorland blazes across Greater Manchester over recent summers - as 'reckless', adding it 'could have had far-reaching consequences'.
Ali, who failed to attend a court to be sentenced, was witnessed dropping a cigarette butt on Saddleworth Moor above Oldham in July last year.
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Oldham council said two council enforcement officers spotted him - and he was only 10 metres away from a rubbish bin at the time.
Thousands of acres of Saddleworth Moor were engulfed in fire in a devastating blaze in 2018 - one of the largest wildfires in UK history which led to the Army being placed on standby and residents in neighbouring villages evacuated. Many of the wildfire blazes have been treated as arson, but no fire was caused by Ali dropping the cigarette.
Emma Barton, Executive Director for Place and Economic Growth at the council, said: "Dropping a cigarette butt anywhere across the borough can lead to you being fined. But discarding one on moorland is reckless and could have had far-reaching consequences.
"Over the last few years, a number of moorland fires are believed to have been started by cigarettes. The impact on wildlife and the environment has been huge. The council wants to see people enjoying our countryside but acting responsibly.
A Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) is in place on Saddleworth Moor. Various types of fires, and that includes fireworks and camping stoves, are banned."
The council said it was a supporter of the 'BeMoorAware' campaign, which urges visitors not to start or bring fires with them.
When challenged by the officers, 40-year-old Ali refused to give his details and walked off, said a town hall spokesman releasing details about the case. It was only when a nearby police officer attended the scene that Ali, of Stanton Close Reading, Berkshire identified himself.
He was given an on the spot fine for littering but when it wasn't paid, legal proceedings were launched. The council said Ali failed to attend Tameside Magistrates' Court on 24 April and the case was heard in his absence. He was fined £440 with £250 costs and a £176 victim surcharge.
Moorland fires in tinder-dry conditions have hit areas of Oldham and Tameside to devastating effect over recent years, with wildlife and precious grasslands destroyed.
At nearby Dove Stone nature reserve in Oldham, new fire rangers are patrolling the popular moorland beauty spot together with 'fire watch volunteers' to guard against devastating summer wildfires.
In separate cases, two Oldham residents also found themselves in court after their waste was found dumped near their homes.
Ionel Sorica, 45, of Copster Hill Road, was arrested by the police and taken to Tameside Magistrates Court on April 28 after he had failed to attend court on a previous occasion.
He had not paid a fixed penalty notice (FPN) after his waste was discovered in the alleyway between Lune Street and Copster Hill Road. He was found guilty and fined £400 plus £40 victim surcharge and £850 costs.
Waste belonging to Moses Ighalo, 49 of Ashton Road was also found in an alley behind his house.
He was issued with a FPN which he didn’t pay. On April 27 at the same court, he pleaded not guilty to a duty of care offence but was found guilty after a trial and fined £280 plus a £34 victim surcharge and ordered to pay £300 towards costs.
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