Regenerating Swale
Three separate people were fined a total of £467 and ordered to pay a total of £300 costs for littering offences in the borough.
A man from Portland Terrace, Sheerness was prosecuted under Section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. He did not attend court but the case was proved in his absence. The court heard how on 03 December 2009 in Sheerness High Street he was seen by Council Street Wardens to come out of a bakery, take a pasty from a paper bag and throw the paper bag on the pavement continuing to walk across the road.
He was spoken to by the wardens and given a fixed penalty notice for littering. He failed to pay this and was summoned to court. He was ordered to pay Swale Borough Council £100 in costs and was fined £175 and ordered to pay a £15 surcharge.
A woman from Charlotte Street, Sittingbourne was also prosecuted under Section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The court heard how on 03 December 2009 in Sittingbourne High Street she was seen by a Council Street Warden to drop a cigarette on the floor before walking into the Forum Shopping Centre.
She was spoken to by the Street Warden and given a Fixed Penalty Notice for littering. She failed to pay this and was summoned to court, where she entered a guilty plea by post. She was ordered to pay Swale Borough Council £100 in costs and was fined £117 and ordered to pay a £15 surcharge.
A man from St Paul's Crescent, Boughton under Blean, Faversham was also prosecuted under Section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The court heard how on 03 December 2009 in Preston Street Faversham he was seen by Swale Borough Council's Environmental Enforcement Officer to throw a cigarette butt in the road before walking into a shop and going behind the counter.
He was spoken to by the officer and given a Fixed Penalty Notice for littering. He failed to pay and was summoned to court. He failed to attend court but the case was proved in his absence. He was ordered to pay £100 costs to Swale Borough Council and was fined £175 fine and ordered to pay a £15 surcharge.
All three were prosecuted on Monday 07 June at Sittingbourne Magistrates Court.
Geraldine Chidley, Swale Borough Council's Principal Street Warden, said "The Council's 'Environmental Response Team' takes littering offences extremely seriously. We try and tackle the issues that the residents of Swale tell us they want addressed. In the last Place Survey, cleaner streets was ranked by Swale residents as the second most important factor in rating a place to live. Therefore we have a progressed a balanced campaign of prevention and enforcement to act on the public's request.
"Anyone dropping litter in Swale and leaving it will risk receiving a fixed penalty notice of £80, or a much larger fine if they fail to pay the fixed penalty. We want people to know we are wholly committed to keeping Swale a clean place for its residents and visitors and that we will take firm action against anyone who does not respect the area."