LITTER COPS ON THE STREETS TO DISH OUT BIGGER FINES

NEW SQUAD SET TO CLEAN-UP THE STREETS OF THE BOROUGH

A NEW squad of litter cops will be hitting the streets of Nuneaton and Bedworth - and they will be dishing out even bigger fines.

For the past seven months there have been no litter officers patrolling the streets, but that is set to change and so is the amount those caught have to pay, with the Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) rising from £80 to £100.

Under a new deal, District Enforcement, known as District, will send Environmental Enforcement Officers (EEO) armed with body cameras out to catch litterbugs, those who dump cigarettes and fly-tippers.

But there is scope for them to do more according to a council report, which says: “Initially our enforcement partner EEOs will be designated to enforce littering, fly-posting, graffiti and fly tipping offences, through NBBC assets and street scene services sections. It is envisaged that dog control measures for breaches to PSPO orders will also be included.

“Our enforcement partner will manage the whole FPN and CPN processes with regard to issuing, tracking, complaints resolution and financial management. Where it appears that an offender has failed to pay an FPN issued, our enforcement partner will compile a prosecution case file for the use of NBBC legal team.”

The deal would be for 24 months, with an option to extend it for another year, and all funds raised would be split 50/50 between the council and the firm.

“Deployment will be area based to allow the teams to work in areas identified by Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council that need attention with specific offences and objectives but will also allow our enforcement partner to issue FPNs to generate revenue to cover operational costs,” the council report adds.

It was at the start of the year that the Telegraph revealed that the relationship between the council and NSL had ended, which means there has been no dedicated team of litter wardens patrolling the two towns for the past seven months.

Councillor Jill Sheppard, cabinet member for central services at the Town Hall, is set to rubber-stamp the new deal and increase fines at a meeting on tomorrow.