A woman from Mangotsfield has been ordered to pay a total of £1,483 after South Gloucestershire Council prosecuted her for dropping a cigarette in Staple Hill.
Terie Green, of Arnold Road, failed to attend Bristol Magistrates’ Court for the hearing this week but was found guilty in her absence and convicted for the offence of littering. She was ordered to pay a fine of £660, along with £559 in costs and a £264 victim surcharge.
The court heard that on 9th November 2022 council street enforcement officers were on uniformed patrol on Broad Street when they noticed Green smoking a cigarette as she walked towards the supermarket. She then threw the cigarette onto the floor before entering the store, making no attempt to place it in a bin.
A street enforcement officer who witnessed her actions was waiting to speak with her when she came out a few minutes later. The officer explained she had been seen discarding the cigarette and was being issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice for the offence of littering.
The defendant provided her personal details, but subsequent checks showed that she failed to make any payment against the fixed penalty. Therefore, a prosecution for the offence of littering was progressed through the courts.
Amie Copley, built environment enforcement manager at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “Discarded cigarette ends can blight our town centres and communities, and are one of the most common forms of littering that we see. They can harm the environment and take many years to decompose.
“Anyone issued with a fixed penalty notice must pay their fine otherwise we will bring the matter before the courts. We encourage smokers to dispose of their smoking litter responsibly by using the bins provided or take it home with them.”
Littering and other anti-social offences can be reported by visiting www.southglos.gov.uk/report
