Paying the price for littering

We’re pleased to report that Sunderland City Council’s war on litter louts and flytippers plaguing our city is being cranked up.

A whole raft of new punishments against the ‘lazy and disrespectful’ residents messing up Wearside have been revealed today.

Fines for dropping waste could be doubled from £75 to £150, as could punishments for those who daub graffiti and those who hand out leaflets, cards, newspapers or takeaway menus and other promotional leaflets which are often discarded.

Flytippers will also face increased fines, with the authority looking at bringing in powers to seize vehicles used to dump waste.

The proposals are to be discussed by the council’s cabinet on Wednesday.

Introducing the proposals, deputy leader Coun Michael Mordey said: “To many people are lazy and irresponsible when it comes to all the littering and fly-tipping that we see in our neighbourhoods.

“I don’t find it acceptable, the majority of people do not find it acceptable and the council’s enforcement actions are sending out a message to this lazy minority that they need to accept responsibility and think about their actions.”

The crackdown ties in with the Echo’s recently launched Clean Streets campaign, which we started after a Big Cities Survey by our paper revealed that litter and the state of the city was the No1 priority for most of our readers.

We want Sunderland to be a city we are all proud of – to do that residents must take pride in their own neighbourhood, keeping it clean and notifying us and/or the council of the grot spots on their doorsteps.

The higher fines are welcome, but keeping the city clean must be a team effort.