‘No excuse’ - Almost 300 people in Birmingham fined for littering and fly-tipping

City chiefs say there is “no excuse” after almost 300 people in Birmingham were fined for littering and fly-tipping between February and May of this year.

Between February 8 and April 26, a total of 230 fixed penalty notices were handed to people who were caught littering with 36 fines handed to fly-tippers.

In total nearly £70,000 worth of fines were slapped on city-goers who chose to drop their rubbish on the streets. Councillors say those caught should show more respect.

What’s been said about the figures?

Cllr Majid Mahmood, Cabinet Member for Environment at Birmingham City Council, said: “The fines and penalties issued to environmental offenders in this city show we will do everything we can to bring those responsible to justice. This covers everyone from those littering our streets with cigarette butts to large-scale commercial fly-tippers.

“People dropping litter or dumping waste have no regard for our shared environment. We have invested significantly in services to keep our streets clean, but if everyone showed more respect for our city, this extra resource could be utilised on other things important to our residents.

“There is no excuse for this anti-social behaviour, and we will continue our efforts to achieve clean streets.”

Remarkably 150 out of the 234 people fined for littering were visitors from outside of the city.

Trading Standards also recorded four waste enforcement cases resulting in fines of £4,199 – the most serious receiving a fine of £2,000.

Birmingham City Council’s website states that a fixed penalty of £150 can be issued by the council to someone who is caught littering on the spot, even if you offer to clear away the litter.

The amount will not be reduced even if the fine is paid within 14 days and the only way to appeal is to take the matter to court. Failure to pay an FPN for littering will result in legal action and could land the offender with costs of up to £2,500.

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