Fines of £1,000 imposed for dropping cigarette ends

Court fines totalling over £1,000 have been handed out to six people who dropped cigarette ends on High Peak's streets.

High Peak Borough Council took the littering cases to Derby Justice Centre after the individuals all failed to pay the fixed penalty fines issued to them at the time of the offences by the Council's Enforcement Officer.

Two people pleaded guilty to dropping litter and the other four were found guilty by magistrates. All were fined and ordered and pay costs as detailed below:

·         Dean Nix was seen dropping a cigarette end in Spring Gardens, Buxton on 19 March this year. He pleaded guilty and was fined £146 and ordered to pay costs of £150 and a £30 victim surcharge.

·         Courtney Murphy was fined £83 after admitting littering on High Street in Buxton on 11 April. She was also ordered to pay £150 in costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

·         Sky Towers was seen dropping a cigarette end on Henry Street in Glossop on 16 March and received a £220 fine with costs of £150 and a £30 victim surcharge.

·         Kathleen Davies was fined £220 and ordered to pay £150 costs and a £30 victim surcharge after she was seen dropping litter at the Municipal Buildings car park in Glossop on 21 March.

·         Dropping a cigarette on Spring Gardens in Buxton on 5 April cost Ernest Craig a fine of £220 with costs of £150 and a £30 victim surcharge.

·         Gary Fagan also received a £220 fine, £150 costs and a £30 victim surcharge for dropping a cigarette butt in Spring Gardens on 24 May.

Councillor Julie McCabe, Executive Councillor for Communities, said: "These six cases are the latest to be taken to court because the individuals concerned haven't paid the fixed penalty fine issued to them at the time of the offence despite being sent reminders in the weeks following the notice being issued.

"As we've said before, a court hearing is the final stage in the process but I would remind people that it is so easily avoided by not dropping litter in the first place.

"We all want to be able to live and work in clean and cared for towns and villages and the thoughtless actions of the minority have an impact on the whole community. That's why we'll always address littering when we see it happening and I'd urge people to behave responsibly by putting their litter in bins or taking it home to dispose of."