Prosecutions for dropping litter in Coventry double as council gets tough

[dutchman]

'The city centre is our showpiece and we need it to look good if we are going to attract new businesses,' says Coventry's environmental services head Craig Hickin



The number of people being prosecuted for littering in Coventry has nearly doubled over the past year.

A total of 81 litter bugs have been taken to court in 2015/16 by Coventry City Council for dropping rubbish in the city.

This was up from just 44 the previous year and matches a similar increase in on-the-spot fines handed out from 585 in 2014/15 to 1,156 in 2015/16.

The figures have been revealed just a day after the Telegraph reported that some of those responsible for littering in Coventry have had to fork out more than £400 in court bills.

A dozen people appeared in front of magistrates on the same day in March after they refused to pay a £75 on-the-spot fine, which is reduced to £50 if paid within 10 working days.

And many of them were slapped with a £200 fine, more than £200 prosecution costs and a £20 victim surcharge for offences in places such as Broadgate, Shelton Square, Lower Precinct and Market Way.

Explaining why the number of penalty notices and prosecutions have increased, Craig Hickin, the council’s head of environmental services, said: “We had a new team start in 2014/15 so they were on a learning curve and as they became more competent, they became more effective.

“The city centre is our showpiece and we need it to look good if we are going to attract new businesses, shops and restaurants to move in.

“And if people litter and don’t pay their fine, then it’s our policy to prosecute.

“We’ve carried out so much publicity over the past few years that people can’t say they don’t know it’s an offence to drop litter.

“Paying a fixed penalty notice is far cheaper as the courts can sometimes fine four or five times the original cost.

“Also if you pay quickly you don’t have a criminal record, rather than a big fine and a criminal record from the courts.

“We will continue to fight littering as it’s the best for the city and we have the support of the general public.”

[Melisandre]

There for if they want a clean city provide more litter bin as there are very few compared with other small towns as I have been informed by others that use the City centre for shopping.

[dutchman]

Fines are a poor way of deterring litter louts, they should be made to pick up everyone else's litter for a few weeks, see how they like it.

[rebbonk]

I have no issue with litter louts being punished, as long as there are bins and they are regularly emptied. There is a bin near where I walk my dog that hasn't been emptied for weeks. I'm quite happy to walk past and dispose of my dogs waste in the next bin, but others aren't. The result is a pile of 'doggy bags' underneath the bin.

The council could, and should, help people on this issue.