Smokers in £134k litter bill
SMOKERS are the butt of 93 per cent of fines for littering across Rossendale, figures have revealed.
District Enforcement’s environmental crime enforcement contract has been renewed, after a 12-month trial launched in December 2018.
Rossendale council figures reveal private enforcement officers issued penalty notices of £144,000 in the scheme’s first ten months, the equivalent of 44 a week.
However, of those, just three per week were sanctioned for either nonsmoking related littering or dog fouling.
By contrast, there were 1,240 on-the-spot notices for dropping cigarette butts, 489 for roll-up cigarette littering, and 52 violations of smoke-free places and vehicles.
The 30-39 age group were the biggest offenders - collecting one-in-five £75 fines - while more than 70pc were issued in either Rawtenstall or Haslingden.
District Enforcement retains all the income from the fixed penalty notices, although council chiefs say they could reassess this.
Roger Grimshaw, of Rossendale Civic Pride, said the borough does seem to be making some progress on the issue of littering.
He said: “Over the last two to three years we have seen a massive reduction in the amount of litter.
“The bins seem far fuller than they were. How much of that is down to Civic Pride and how much to this enforcement, I have no idea.”
Mr Grimshaw said Civic Pride would not comment on the merits of the enforcement scheme, saying they are getting on with the job of cleaning up the area.
However, he added: “Cigarette butts are a real problem. They are unsightly and horrible.”
Warren Hodgson, District Enforcement’s environmental crime director, said: “We would relish the opportunity to continue our partnership with Rossendale Borough Council and play our part in keeping the borough clean and tidy.
“We have a dedicated team of officers who will continue to patrol the borough and take a fair and proportionate approach.
“According to Keep Britain Tidy, dropped cigarette butts are the most common form of littering, found on 79 per cent of the streets surveyed as part of their recent Local Environment Quality Survey. Cigarettes can take up to 12 years to degrade - during which time they leak harmful toxins.
“It is reported that every day UK smokers throw away about 200 million butts - which have subsequently been found in the stomachs of fish, birds, whales and other marine creatures, who mistake them for food.
“This creates significant environmental pollution and harms wildlife. There is no conceivable reason why anyone should drop litter. Everyone has a responsibility, including residents and visitors, to ensure Rossendale remains clean and tidy.”