A man has been ordered to pay more than £550 after dropping a cigarette on the road. Alex Davis, of Woodruff Close in Gloucester, failed to attend Bristol Magistrates' Court for the hearing on Monday (January 9) but was found guilty in his absence of littering.
The court heard that on August 17 last year, South Gloucestershire Council’s street enforcement officers were walking along Thornbury High Street when they noticed Davis smoking a cigarette as he walked around 20 metres ahead of them. He was observed discarding his cigarette into the road, before immediately walking away and continuing along the pavement.
Officers approached Davis to speak with him and pointed out that he had been observed discarding the cigarette, for which he apologised, the council said. They explained that because he had committed a littering offence, that they were obliged to issue him with a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN).
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Subsequent checks showed that he had failed to make any payment against the fixed penalty, so prosecution for the offence of littering was progressed through the court, according to the council. At court on Monday magistrates found him guilty and Davis was ordered to pay a fine of £220, along with £250 in costs and a £88 victim surcharge, making a total of £558.
Councillor Rachael Hunt, cabinet member responsible for environmental enforcement at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “Discarded cigarette ends are one of the most common forms of littering that our Street Enforcement Officers encounter, especially on our high streets.
“This man was caught in the act of littering and accepted his actions but made no attempt to pay the resulting fine, so the matter was brought before the court. Cigarette ends are unsightly, and it can take between 18 months and 10 years for their component parts to decompose. Smokers are encouraged to dispose of their smoking litter in the bins provided or take it home with them.”
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