Carmarthen woman fined for litter offence
A Carmarthen woman has been fined £160 and ordered to pay £100 court costs for throwing litter.
Rebecca Patricia Rainford, of Cae Eithin, Brewery Road, was prosecuted by Carmarthenshire County Council for the offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Carmarthen magistrates heard that the council’s environmental enforcement officers were on duty on Saturday, November 19 in Parc Pensarn when they saw a man and woman returning to their car having bought takeaway food items.
The officers then noticed a white serviette on the ground next to the vehicle. They identified themselves to the female sat in the front passenger seat and explained that they had grounds to suspect that she had been littering.
She told officers after being cautioned for the offence: “I couldn't be bothered to get out. It was a mistake anyway.”
She also said that there were no bins nearby but the officers pointed to a bin that was situated less than 10 metres away.
Checks were carried out and found that Rainford had previously been issued with fixed penalty notices for littering on two separate occasions. As a result she was summonsed to appear before magistrates.
The 26-year-old pleaded guilty by post to the offence.
The council now hopes this case will act as warning to others that anyone caught throwing litter in Carmarthenshire will be prosecuted.
Director of Technical Services Richard Workman said: “Dropping litter is against the law, whether it is discarding rubbish from a vehicle, throwing cigarette ends or spitting out chewing gum.
“We do not want to fine people but we are determined to clean up Carmarthenshire and we will not hesitate to prosecute those that break the law in this way.”
Rebecca Patricia Rainford, of Cae Eithin, Brewery Road, was prosecuted by Carmarthenshire County Council for the offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Carmarthen magistrates heard that the council’s environmental enforcement officers were on duty on Saturday, November 19 in Parc Pensarn when they saw a man and woman returning to their car having bought takeaway food items.
The officers then noticed a white serviette on the ground next to the vehicle. They identified themselves to the female sat in the front passenger seat and explained that they had grounds to suspect that she had been littering.
She told officers after being cautioned for the offence: “I couldn't be bothered to get out. It was a mistake anyway.”
She also said that there were no bins nearby but the officers pointed to a bin that was situated less than 10 metres away.
Checks were carried out and found that Rainford had previously been issued with fixed penalty notices for littering on two separate occasions. As a result she was summonsed to appear before magistrates.
The 26-year-old pleaded guilty by post to the offence.
The council now hopes this case will act as warning to others that anyone caught throwing litter in Carmarthenshire will be prosecuted.
Director of Technical Services Richard Workman said: “Dropping litter is against the law, whether it is discarding rubbish from a vehicle, throwing cigarette ends or spitting out chewing gum.
“We do not want to fine people but we are determined to clean up Carmarthenshire and we will not hesitate to prosecute those that break the law in this way.”
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