SPY PLEA TO DRIVERS TIPPING TO SEND IN SNOOP FOOTAGE
Council’s dash-cam bid to stop litter louts
Drivers have been asked to use their in-car camera to shop litterbugs.
Pol iticians in one of the country’s biggest councils say motor ists should submit dash- cam footage of people dropping rubbish from the windows of their cars.
North Ayrshire Council would then match up registration plates to track down offenders.
Councillor Jim Montgomerie, who has responsibil ity for environmental services, said: “It is very frustrating when you see people brazenly throwing rubbish out of their cars.
“It’s dangerous to motorists and our staf f , who then have to clear up the mess. It’s also completely disrespectful to t he a rea and people who live there.
“We want our communities to be clean, tidy and welcoming to visitors and locals alike.
“That’s why we must deter the minority who think it’s OK to toss rubbish on our streets.”
Dashboard cameras have been used by police forces in England and Wales to help prosecute motorists caught speeding or driving dangerously.
Police in Scotland regularly appeal to motorists to supply dash- cam footage as part of major investigations.
The scheme in North Ayrshire is believed to be the first time a local authority will use them to help tackle litter. The council team will work with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to identify the owners of vehicles.
In Scotland, vehicle owners are not responsible for the actions of others. But the council say they will be asked to provide details of anyone spotted throwing litter.
If they don’t, they could be fined themselves. A dedicated email address has been set up at dashcam@north-ayrshire.gov.uk.
North Ayrshire Council said enforcement would extend to cigarette ends flicked from cars.
A spokesman said: “We’ve given out pouches at council buildings and other facilities across North Ayrshire to try to discourage people from flicking their cigarette butts.”
The council’s environmental
enforcement team were set up in 2015 and issued 14 f ixed penalty notices to people caught fly-tipping that year.
In the latest figures, from 2017 to 2018, the number rose to 238.
There has been a simi lar increase in people being fined for failing to clear up dog mess and litter dropping.
Montgomerie, the Labour member for Saltcoats, added: “Our environmental enforcement team have been a fantastic addition to the council and have done sterling work. “The use of dash cams will give them another dimension.”
An AA spokesman said: “Drivers who throw litter from their vehicles should be aware that 20 per cent of cars are now fitted with dash cams.
“So there is a reasonable chance this behaviour may be caught and fed back to police or, in this case, the local authority.
“The f lip side is that in Switzerland and certain countries in Eastern Europe, this sort of monitoring behaviour would be seen as surveillance and would be banned under applicable local laws.”