New fines for litter louts – particularly those who car share!

If there’s one thing to make most of us tut with distain is watching someone deliberately drop litter or throw rubbish from a car.

Keep Britain Tidy estimates that more than 30 million tons of litter are collected from streets in England every year, that’s enough to fill four Wembley stadiums.

The charity has found that, while 62 per cent of people dropped litter, just 28 per cent admitted having done so.

Almost six in 10 people said they considered litter to be a problem, and local authorities spend an estimated £1 billion a year clearing up the mess.

However, new plans to clean up on litter louts are currently under discussion which will see fines for people caught dropping rubbish in public places doubled to £150.

At the moment, fines for littering are set locally by councils and range from £50 to £80, with a default level of £75 if the council does not specifically set its own amount.

In addition, drivers could also be fined automatically if litter is thrown from their vehicle, even if a passenger is to blame, according to reports.

The Government wants litter thrown from cars to be treated in the same way as speeding, with the registered keeper held responsible unless someone else comes forward to admit the offence.

Fines for littering from a vehicle could also be increased from £75 to £125 in England under a new strategy being drawn up by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

It would then be down to the driver to either admit to the offence and pay the prescribed fine; challenge it in court; or nominate the passenger who was actually at fault.

What do you think to these proposals? We hope that a change in the law will encourage the minority of people who flout it to think before flinging their crisp packet, flyer stuck to the windscreen or takeaway box out of their window – and to think a little more about our environment.