Hundreds fined for dropping cigarette butts

NEARLY 500 people have been fined for dropping cigarette butts in one part of Somerset in only three months.

Somerset West and Taunton Council announced a 12-month enforcement trial in January to keep the streets clean.

It started on April 1, with regular patrols being undertaken around the district and fixed penalty notices (FPNs) being issued to people found to have littered.

Statistics published by the council show that nearly 500 people across the district have been fined for dropping cigarette ends – the majority being in Taunton – with an average of six fines being issued every day.

In the three months between April 1 and June 30, a total of 502 FPNs were issued, 498 of them for dropping cigarette butts.

The fine is £100, though this can be reduced to £80 if the person issued with the notice pays up within 14 days.