Litter louts: "Pay up or face tougher fines" (From Southend Standard)
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Litter louts: "Pay up or face tougher fines"
4:00pm Tuesday 12th March 2013 in Echo News Exclusive By Jon Austin
Litter louts: "Pay up or face tougher fines"
A COUNCILLOR has warned litter louts who snubbed their fines to pay up now or face hefty charges when it goes to court.
Six people caught dropping litter or cigarette butts in the borough, who failed to cough up fixed-penalty fines, were each ordered to pay more than £400 at Basildon Magistrates Court.
The litter bugs could have got away with just a £50 fine of they had paid on time, but the council pursued them in court for non payment.
They were each handed £200 fines, plus a £15 victim surcharge and costs ranging from £189 to £252.
John Dornan, council cabinet member for environment, said: “People have got to realise that if they still owe fines they should come forward because the court is supporting our action and people are ending up paying around £450.”
One case was withdrawn, while another was adjourned so a Bulgarian interpreter could attend.
A council spokesman said: “There are still 100 people that we are taking to court. By paying now they could avoid similar fines and award of costs.”
The fines were originally dished out by private litter warden firm Xfor, which used staff including ex soldiers to patrol the borough’s streets.
Xfor was hired by the council as a year’s pilot scheme last April, but the contract was axed early in January as it was supposed to come at no cost to the authority which ended out forking out cash due to so many fines going unpaid.
Between April and July last year the service cost taxpayers £17,450.
Mr Dornan added: “Just because we have cancelled the trial, does not mean we are not going to chase people for the outstanding fines. These court results show we mean business and you will have to pay up.”
Comments(19)
firedog
says...
4:10pm Tue 12 Mar 13
before we drown in litter.
DogsMessInLeigh
says...
4:45pm Tue 12 Mar 13
Rochford Rob
says...
4:47pm Tue 12 Mar 13
whateverhappened
says...
5:41pm Tue 12 Mar 13
Basildon_Boy
says...
5:49pm Tue 12 Mar 13
whateverhappened wrote:It amazes me how people are stupid enough to. I really dont know why you would. Like I said in my above post, you are not obliged.
Who are these muppets and why would anyone give them the correct name ?
DrSpiffSpaffington
says...
6:22pm Tue 12 Mar 13
whateverhappened
says...
6:59pm Tue 12 Mar 13
abd123
says...
7:05pm Tue 12 Mar 13
Basildon_Boy
says...
8:38pm Tue 12 Mar 13
abd123 wrote:HAHA. Very funny. Its a civil matter, not a criminal matter. So you would be part of the stupid crew then that would give correct information. Best thing is when these thugs in uniforms approach you to not say anything atall. They cant touch you or arrest you. So stop getting scared over 2 idiots in black unifom.
For clarification it is an offence to fail to give your name and address or to give a false one to an authorised officer (they were authorised) for a littering fixed penalty notice. See section 7 Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. The fine is the same as littering.
Basildon_Boy
says...
10:24pm Tue 12 Mar 13
DrSpiffSpaffington wrote:There cowards
I saw them hiding round corners outside basildon hospital once
heartbeat
says...
10:39pm Tue 12 Mar 13
firedog wrote:Oh yes please!!!! That is one thing the Council could do which I would support wholeheartedly - fine anyone seen (or caught on CCTV) dropping litter, fag ends or chewing gum along with those disgusting scumbags who let their dogs crap all over the High Street. I saw one tramplike figure let his dog do an enormous crap by the side of Santander a few weeks ago, right in the middle of the pavement and an absolute nightmare for any unsuspecting child or someone with impaired vision. This specimen of unrivalled scabby ugliness then tied the dog to a lamp post and for a split second I was incredulous as I thought he was going to pull out a little plastic bag and clear it up. My incredulity was well-founded however - he just left the dog tied up and barking loudly while he dashed across the road into the fish and chip shop! Just one example which sticks in my mind - it's hard to walk down Sarfend "City of Culture" High Street without witnessing something like that. Fine them, heavily!! If they can afford to keep a dog and buy fish and chips they can afford to pay the fines, which can then go to pay for some things which the rest of us might benefit from such as hanging baskets of flowers instead of piles of dog **** to avoid everywhere! Rant over!
A pity Southend dosent do the same,
before we drown in litter.
Carnabackable
says...
10:42pm Tue 12 Mar 13
BASILBRUSH
says...
10:02am Wed 13 Mar 13
Basildon_Boy wrote:How about encouraging people not to drop litter in the first place rather than encouraging them how to evade punishment?!
abd123 wrote:HAHA. Very funny. Its a civil matter, not a criminal matter. So you would be part of the stupid crew then that would give correct information. Best thing is when these thugs in uniforms approach you to not say anything atall. They cant touch you or arrest you. So stop getting scared over 2 idiots in black unifom.
For clarification it is an offence to fail to give your name and address or to give a false one to an authorised officer (they were authorised) for a littering fixed penalty notice. See section 7 Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. The fine is the same as littering.
Make me mad seeing people chucking there wrappers from car windows, or ignorantly dropping wrappers. Use a bin!
Do you really want to live in a waste bin?
BASILBRUSH
says...
10:05am Wed 13 Mar 13
BASILBRUSH wrote:Next time I'll proof read before posting!!! Reading the Echo for too long.
Basildon_Boy wrote:How about encouraging people not to drop litter in the first place rather than encouraging them how to evade punishment?!
abd123 wrote:HAHA. Very funny. Its a civil matter, not a criminal matter. So you would be part of the stupid crew then that would give correct information. Best thing is when these thugs in uniforms approach you to not say anything atall. They cant touch you or arrest you. So stop getting scared over 2 idiots in black unifom.
For clarification it is an offence to fail to give your name and address or to give a false one to an authorised officer (they were authorised) for a littering fixed penalty notice. See section 7 Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. The fine is the same as littering.
Make me mad seeing people chucking there wrappers from car windows, or ignorantly dropping wrappers. Use a bin!
Do you really want to live in a waste bin?
Makes...
their not there
Basildon_Boy
says...
11:48am Wed 13 Mar 13
heartbeat wrote:I do kind of agree about dog poo because that is disgusting, no one is expected to pick up dog poo, except the owner. However, when it comes to a cigarette end, chocolate wrapper or chewing gum etc.. I don't think the council have got no right atall to fine people. Afterall we have street cleaners on our streets, and there payed to pick it up. it's just another money making scheme. spy cars, council tax increase, and now this. Rip off Britain for sure.
firedog wrote:Oh yes please!!!! That is one thing the Council could do which I would support wholeheartedly - fine anyone seen (or caught on CCTV) dropping litter, fag ends or chewing gum along with those disgusting scumbags who let their dogs crap all over the High Street. I saw one tramplike figure let his dog do an enormous crap by the side of Santander a few weeks ago, right in the middle of the pavement and an absolute nightmare for any unsuspecting child or someone with impaired vision. This specimen of unrivalled scabby ugliness then tied the dog to a lamp post and for a split second I was incredulous as I thought he was going to pull out a little plastic bag and clear it up. My incredulity was well-founded however - he just left the dog tied up and barking loudly while he dashed across the road into the fish and chip shop! Just one example which sticks in my mind - it's hard to walk down Sarfend "City of Culture" High Street without witnessing something like that. Fine them, heavily!! If they can afford to keep a dog and buy fish and chips they can afford to pay the fines, which can then go to pay for some things which the rest of us might benefit from such as hanging baskets of flowers instead of piles of dog **** to avoid everywhere! Rant over!
A pity Southend dosent do the same,
before we drown in litter.
perini
says...
12:34pm Wed 13 Mar 13
iknoweverything
says...
1:10pm Wed 13 Mar 13
Basildon_Boy wrote:As already said, Basildon_Boy please read Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 particularly section 19:
abd123 wrote:HAHA. Very funny. Its a civil matter, not a criminal matter. So you would be part of the stupid crew then that would give correct information. Best thing is when these thugs in uniforms approach you to not say anything atall. They cant touch you or arrest you. So stop getting scared over 2 idiots in black unifom.
For clarification it is an offence to fail to give your name and address or to give a false one to an authorised officer (they were authorised) for a littering fixed penalty notice. See section 7 Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. The fine is the same as littering.
“(8A)If an authorised officer of a litter authority proposes to give a person a notice under this section, the officer may require the person to give him his name and address. .
(8B)A person commits an offence if— .
(a)he fails to give his name and address when required to do so under subsection (8A) above, or .
(b)he gives a false or inaccurate name or address in response to a requirement under that subsection.
should someone really want to make a fuss then the litter patrol people could use s.3 criminal law act to detail someone:
(1)A person may use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances in the prevention of crime, or in effecting or assisting in the lawful arrest of offenders or suspected offenders or of persons unlawfully at large.
Police could then be called and make an arrest if name and address is not given or issue a fixed penalty if it is.
anyway, i dont see why these wardens were axed. they issued the tickets and people didnt pay them. so take the offenders to court and recoup your money! keep dishing the tickets out - cleaner streets and money in the councils pocket. it only falls down if the council cant be bothered to pursue the offenders.
Basildon Council Communications
says...
8:41pm Thu 14 Mar 13
iknoweverything wrote:We are taking the people to court and are recouping our costs. We have 85 more cases to go to court yet which will cover our costs if we get similar results to the above.
Basildon_Boy wrote:As already said, Basildon_Boy please read Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 particularly section 19:
abd123 wrote:HAHA. Very funny. Its a civil matter, not a criminal matter. So you would be part of the stupid crew then that would give correct information. Best thing is when these thugs in uniforms approach you to not say anything atall. They cant touch you or arrest you. So stop getting scared over 2 idiots in black unifom.
For clarification it is an offence to fail to give your name and address or to give a false one to an authorised officer (they were authorised) for a littering fixed penalty notice. See section 7 Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. The fine is the same as littering.
“(8A)If an authorised officer of a litter authority proposes to give a person a notice under this section, the officer may require the person to give him his name and address. .
(8B)A person commits an offence if— .
(a)he fails to give his name and address when required to do so under subsection (8A) above, or .
(b)he gives a false or inaccurate name or address in response to a requirement under that subsection.
should someone really want to make a fuss then the litter patrol people could use s.3 criminal law act to detail someone:
(1)A person may use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances in the prevention of crime, or in effecting or assisting in the lawful arrest of offenders or suspected offenders or of persons unlawfully at large.
Police could then be called and make an arrest if name and address is not given or issue a fixed penalty if it is.
anyway, i dont see why these wardens were axed. they issued the tickets and people didnt pay them. so take the offenders to court and recoup your money! keep dishing the tickets out - cleaner streets and money in the councils pocket. it only falls down if the council cant be bothered to pursue the offenders.
However unfortunately it's not viable to keep going with the trial and continuing to have to take hundreds of people to court every few months just to keep it cost neutral.
Nebs says...
4:10pm Tue 12 Mar 13