Carmarthen man's litter fine
A Carmarthen man has been prosecuted for throwing a takeaway food bag from a car.
Scott Gerald Mason was convicted in his absence this week by Ammanford magistrates of an offence under section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
The court was told that on Friday April 24 this year, environmental enforcement officers were on patrol at the McDonalds overflow car park, Carmarthen, when their attention was drawn to a motor vehicle containing four men.
There was a large amount of McDonalds food packaging strewn on the ground adjacent to the near side and off side of the vehicle containing the four men. A short while later, officers saw a plastic bag being thrown out of the vehicle. Officers waited to see if the bag was going to be picked up but the offender, 20-year-old Mason, failed to pick up the litter and was approached by both officers.
He was informed that he would be issued with a £75 Fixed Penalty Notice for the offence of littering but refused to accept the Notice and elected to have the matter heard in court.
Mason, of Park Hall, Carmarthen, was fined £200 and ordered to pay £200 towards prosecution costs.
Executive board member for the environment Councillor Haydn Jones said: “Dropping litter is against the law, whether it is discarding rubbish from a vehicle, throwing cigarette ends or spitting out chewing gum.
“This will not be tolerated and the culprits will face hefty fines. There is no excuse for littering our streets.”
Scott Gerald Mason was convicted in his absence this week by Ammanford magistrates of an offence under section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
The court was told that on Friday April 24 this year, environmental enforcement officers were on patrol at the McDonalds overflow car park, Carmarthen, when their attention was drawn to a motor vehicle containing four men.
There was a large amount of McDonalds food packaging strewn on the ground adjacent to the near side and off side of the vehicle containing the four men. A short while later, officers saw a plastic bag being thrown out of the vehicle. Officers waited to see if the bag was going to be picked up but the offender, 20-year-old Mason, failed to pick up the litter and was approached by both officers.
He was informed that he would be issued with a £75 Fixed Penalty Notice for the offence of littering but refused to accept the Notice and elected to have the matter heard in court.
Mason, of Park Hall, Carmarthen, was fined £200 and ordered to pay £200 towards prosecution costs.
Executive board member for the environment Councillor Haydn Jones said: “Dropping litter is against the law, whether it is discarding rubbish from a vehicle, throwing cigarette ends or spitting out chewing gum.
“This will not be tolerated and the culprits will face hefty fines. There is no excuse for littering our streets.”
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