Llanelli woman fined for cigarette butt
A Llanelli woman has been fined £110 and ordered to pay court costs of £100 after dropping a cigarette end.
Donna Armstrong, aged 27, of Brynhyfryd, Llangennech, pleaded guilty by post to an offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 at Ammanford Magistrates Court.
The prosecution was brought by Carmarthenshire County Council.
The court heard that on Saturday, August 14 the council’s environmental enforcement officers were on duty in the McDonalds overflow car park in Carmarthen when they saw a woman throw a cigarette end onto the ground.
The officers approached the woman and explained what they had seen and that it was an offence to throw litter. She was issued with a fixed penalty notice of £75, however she failed to pay it and as a result was prosecuted through the magistrates court.
It is now hoped this case will act as a warning to others that those caught breaking the law will be prosecuted.
Research shows that discarded cigarette ends make up the largest proportion of litter in Carmarthenshire. An inspection by Keep Wales Tidy found that 83 per cent of the county’s streets had visible evidence of smoking-related litter.
Executive board member for the environment Councillor Philip Hughes said: “There is no excuse for littering our streets. We want to raise awareness of this type of litter and encourage people to behave responsibly.
“Many people do not think of cigarette ends as litter, but it is. It makes an area look unsightly and it is difficult and very expensive to clean up as the ends fall into grates and cracks in the pavement.
“The council is determined to clean up the county and punish those that break the law.”
Donna Armstrong, aged 27, of Brynhyfryd, Llangennech, pleaded guilty by post to an offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 at Ammanford Magistrates Court.
The prosecution was brought by Carmarthenshire County Council.
The court heard that on Saturday, August 14 the council’s environmental enforcement officers were on duty in the McDonalds overflow car park in Carmarthen when they saw a woman throw a cigarette end onto the ground.
The officers approached the woman and explained what they had seen and that it was an offence to throw litter. She was issued with a fixed penalty notice of £75, however she failed to pay it and as a result was prosecuted through the magistrates court.
It is now hoped this case will act as a warning to others that those caught breaking the law will be prosecuted.
Research shows that discarded cigarette ends make up the largest proportion of litter in Carmarthenshire. An inspection by Keep Wales Tidy found that 83 per cent of the county’s streets had visible evidence of smoking-related litter.
Executive board member for the environment Councillor Philip Hughes said: “There is no excuse for littering our streets. We want to raise awareness of this type of litter and encourage people to behave responsibly.
“Many people do not think of cigarette ends as litter, but it is. It makes an area look unsightly and it is difficult and very expensive to clean up as the ends fall into grates and cracks in the pavement.
“The council is determined to clean up the county and punish those that break the law.”
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