Figures show Week Street is town’s fines hotspot
Fines worth £918,450 have been slapped on litterers in less than three years.
An overwhelming majority of them, £669,000, have come from just 10 of the town centre’s streets.
Offenders were most likely to be pounced on in Week Street by four officers working for private contractor Kingdom Security.
Up until May 11 this year, Kingdom and its predecessor XFOR handed out 4,003 individual £75 fines of £75, raising £300,225 in this street alone.
Leader of the Lib Dems Cllr Fran Wilson believed focusing attention on the town centre had led to other urban areas being neglected.
She said: “I absolutely agree with a zero tolerance towards littering.
“But it appears the borough council is getting a reasonable amount of money out of this and it’s time to ask serious questions about how that money is being used.
“I’ve rarely seen the streets of Maidstone’s urban areas in such a poor state.”
Maidstone council’s cabinet member for the environment, Cllr Marion Ring, defended the approach.
She said: “I am very pleased with the Kingdom officers’ work.
“Maidstone council has a zero-tolerance approach to litter, fly-tipping and abandoned vehicles.
“Every year we spend £1.5 million pounds keeping our borough tidy and looking great.
“It could be better spent if some people didn’t drop litter in the first place.”
Aylesford student Chloe Gouldson, 18, was hit with a fine in January after dropping litter down a drain. She believed the fines were too harsh. The Teapot Lane resident said: “Two men approached me and said they had me on CCTV, and fined me.
“I was just about to go to university and didn’t need a £75 fine.”
But campaign group Keep Britain Tidy has welcomed the council’s approach.
Chief executive Phil Barton said: “We believe everyone must take responsibility for their waste and we think it is right that people who drop litter are fined.”