Cigarette end woman fined in Carmarthen
A woman has been fined by the courts for dropping a cigarette end in Carmarthen town centre.
Michelle Roseanne Barker, aged 29, of Palm Road, North Colerne, Chippenham, was convicted in absence of an offence contrary to Section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 at Ammanford Magistrates Court.
The prosecution was brought by Carmarthenshire County Council.
The court heard that the council’s environmental enforcement officers were on patrol in the town centre on October 14 2010 when they saw a woman throw down a cigarette end onto the ground in St Catherine’s Walk..
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.
Barker was fined £100 and ordered to pay £67.15 towards prosecution costs.
The council hopes this case will now act as a warning to others that those caught breaking the law in this way will be prosecuted.
The council’s 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 flout the law.”
Research shows that discarded cigarette ends make up the largest proportion of litter in Carmarthenshire found on 83 per cent of streets.
Michelle Roseanne Barker, aged 29, of Palm Road, North Colerne, Chippenham, was convicted in absence of an offence contrary to Section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 at Ammanford Magistrates Court.
The prosecution was brought by Carmarthenshire County Council.
The court heard that the council’s environmental enforcement officers were on patrol in the town centre on October 14 2010 when they saw a woman throw down a cigarette end onto the ground in St Catherine’s Walk..
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.
Barker was fined £100 and ordered to pay £67.15 towards prosecution costs.
The council hopes this case will now act as a warning to others that those caught breaking the law in this way will be prosecuted.
The council’s 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 flout the law.”
Research shows that discarded cigarette ends make up the largest proportion of litter in Carmarthenshire found on 83 per cent of streets.
Comments