Ammanford woman fined for cigarette litter
A woman from Ammanford has been fined £75 for dropping a cigarette end in Carmarthen town centre.
The council’s environmental enforcement officers issued the fixed penalty notice to the 19-year-old in Cambrian Way. Failure to pay could result in prosecution in the magistrates court where the maximum fine is £2,500.
It coincides with a county-wide campaign, supported by Tidy Towns, to raise awareness of smoking-related litter. Council education and awareness officers have been handing out free pocket ashtrays in Carmarthen, Llanelli and Ammanford.
Discarded cigarette ends make up the largest proportion of litter in Carmarthenshire with visible evidence of smoking-related litter found on 83 per cent of the streets inspected by Keep Wales Tidy.
The council’s director of technical services Richard Workman said: “We do not want to fine people, but we will not hesitate to do so if they continue to litter in this way. Many people do not think of cigarette ends as litter, but they are. They make an area look unsightly and they are difficult and very expensive to clean up - the ends fall into grates and cracks in the pavement which makes them almost impossible to remove by normal cleaning.
“The council is determined to improve the quality of the environment in Carmarthenshire for both residents and visitors.”
Enforcement officers regularly carry out patrols across the county.
The council’s environmental enforcement officers issued the fixed penalty notice to the 19-year-old in Cambrian Way. Failure to pay could result in prosecution in the magistrates court where the maximum fine is £2,500.
It coincides with a county-wide campaign, supported by Tidy Towns, to raise awareness of smoking-related litter. Council education and awareness officers have been handing out free pocket ashtrays in Carmarthen, Llanelli and Ammanford.
Discarded cigarette ends make up the largest proportion of litter in Carmarthenshire with visible evidence of smoking-related litter found on 83 per cent of the streets inspected by Keep Wales Tidy.
The council’s director of technical services Richard Workman said: “We do not want to fine people, but we will not hesitate to do so if they continue to litter in this way. Many people do not think of cigarette ends as litter, but they are. They make an area look unsightly and they are difficult and very expensive to clean up - the ends fall into grates and cracks in the pavement which makes them almost impossible to remove by normal cleaning.
“The council is determined to improve the quality of the environment in Carmarthenshire for both residents and visitors.”
Enforcement officers regularly carry out patrols across the county.
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