The fines that go unpaid

1 in 4 don’t stump up

Over a quarter of fines for fly-tipping, littering and dog fouling in South Lanarkshire are going unpaid.

Of 250 penalties issued by the Council, 93 were paid and 157 were not. Of the unpaid fines, 88 were taken to court, and 69 were not, meaning 27 per cent of fines went unpaid.

Rutherglen Councillor Janine Calikes called for more to be done to stamp out the problem.

She said: “Fly-tipping and dog fouling are two of the most frequent complaints I receive as a councillor.

“These figures are only the tip of the ice-berg, but it is clear that more needs to be done to tackle the problem. I will be liaising with Council Officers to ensure consistency in enforcement and will be encouraging my constituents to report any incidents when they see them.”

Shirley Clelland, head of fleet and environmental services at South Lanarkshire Council, stated that mitigating factors would be considered in each case, and that failing to pay penalties for dog fouling cannot be reported to the procurator fiscal as it is considered a civil debt.

She said: “Environmental Services tackle littering, dogfouling and fly-tipping by catching those irresponsible people who do not dispose of their waste properly and issuing fixed-penalty notices as a deterrent, in the hope that this will change people’s behaviour...

“Environmental Services can be contacted on 0303 123 1015 or reports can be submitted through the Council website at www. southlanarkshire.gov.uk.”