Thanet council has taken 34 people to court for littering after they failed to pay fixed penalty fines.
The prosecutions were brought in front of Canterbury Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, February 20 and Tuesday, March 13.
The council says the prosecutions, which were for non-payment of fines for littering and spitting offences, are a clear signal of the authority’s zero tolerance approach and its determination to push for further penalties in the event of non-payment.
As well as the fixed penalty notice offenders were issued with two warning letters after they had missed the initial payment deadline.
Cllr Rosanna Taylor-Smith, Cabinet Member for Community Safety & Environmental Services said: “Thanet is a beautiful place and we want to keep it that way. While litter is only dropped by a small number of people, it affects everyone. These prosecutions serve as a reminder that littering is a crime and won’t be tolerated. The message is clear – if FPN’s are unpaid, we will bring prosecutions.”
Of the 21 cases brought before the magistrates in February, one attended and received a £40 fine as well as being ordered to pay £60 costs and a £30 victim surcharge. Two pleaded guilty by post and were fined £55 and £60 respectively, with both offenders made to pay £60 costs and a £30 victim surcharge each.
The remaining 18 did not attend and were each fined £220 with £120 costs and a victim surcharge of £30.
In March, the further 13 successful convictions for littering in Thanet saw fines of £200 with £120 costs and £50 victim surcharge administered to each offender.
I think we take the council to court and fine them over the state of the bins in broadstairs high street every afternoon , they are OVERFLOWING especially the one outside tesco , god knows what visits think , come on TDC , practice what you preach !
1 collection in a high street position is silly especially considering the number of students in the town.
I would like to know where all the bin’s have gone in Ramsgate, used to be 2 in Staffordshire Street Car Park but have now gone, plus a few have disappeared in the High Street, think it may be a ruse by T.D.C to encourage people to drop litter so they can fine them