Forums Forums Wirral Information Wirral Council Wirral Litter Police : £80 Fines

The figures will include emptying litter bins and general road sweeping.Interested departments distorting figures to make a point will not help the situation.I doubt any person would get caught out twice so don,t make the same mistake once.I don.t know what the situation is regarding age of offenders but juniors seem to have the habit of dropping litter. A quick learning curve is required by the potential offenders or you only have yourself to blame.Pick up or cough up!!.

Not sure why people here are asking for warning signs and cautions for littering. It's antisocial and illegal. Just don't do it. If you smoke, then buy a really cheap stub it out pocket on Ebay. It shouldn't matter if you think someone is watching or not. Like most people I occasionally speed, but I know what the speed limit is, so if I take the chance then it's only my fault not anyone else's if I get caught. Everyone should take some personal responsibility for their actions.

They painted the Speed Camera's Bright Yellow, because they were deemed a money making, and not as intended a deterrent.
If there is a speed camera van they have to have notices up so you have the informed choice to speed or not, but the van is a deterrent. Its clearly marked etc. .. .

A Traffic Warden wears Hi Viz.
A Police officer wears Hi Viz.
A Community liaison officer wears Hi Viz.

Sending out a clear message that if you break the law while i'm here you're going to be fined / prosecuted.

These Litter Police on Wirral don't do such a thing, there in dark scruffy looking clothes all being black !
If you a door man or a security officer you have to display a badge clearly, these guys don't. . .

Hi Viz and there presence should be enough to get the message across, remember these go to area's where residents have called in and asked for there presents, just like the little telescope car that would hover around schools hiding away, only to be told it has to be in full view and then it was restricted to where and when.

If the whole thing was not about the money, then whats wrong with being more visible, and warnings that wirral now has litter police. The first month 90% of fines were to smokers because there an easy target to follow and you know its going to hit the floor in a few minutes.

A good point was raised earlier, that once the word is out and everyone knows that the litter police could be anywhere and everyone starts behaving the money revenue will dry up, and the fly tippers will still fly tip. It has to be education so people understand that it's not just one cigarette butt or one wrapper. Its the vulnerable paying the fines and not the main offenders that pretty much dump a houses contents up an entry.

I dont like that fact that the 2 video's of wirral litter police ive seen are prepared to lie about the use of the camera's and
intimidation techniques. And i'm with DD i would love to have a ciggy on a string and drag it along with me.

I agree it's not right to litter.
I think Wirral council have come at this far too hard and there being sneaky about it with officers not being identifiable from a distance, unless the exercise is all about money. Good people do not intentionally litter, if they do it's an accident or they have a reasonable excuse.

I do hope this comes back and bites the councillors responsible.

And how long before it becomes penalties by CCTV like you can be fined by CCTV for illegal parking now.
When and where will it end for the cash strapped council that wastes money on carpets and coffee machines.

Fully agree, well said.

We have spent enough on littering signs and publicity, we did have people going around asking people to pick up their stubs after they were seen dropping them, impact was zero, none of it worked.

The soft touch and warnings didn't work so now it has come to kick in the spheres time.

The only litter signs ive seen are pretty much 5 10 yrs old and still say £1,000 fine.
There on lamp posts rusting with the 80's look about them.

The soft touch may not have worked but the middle approach of a caution wasn't tried either.

But why are the wardens the least noticeable out of all the enforcement officers.
There being sent out to hot spots and everyone else being sent to a scene is in hi viz.

Pretty much anyone in authority with some powers has Hi Viz saying who they are.

I just think the council is being sneaky about the whole thing to maximise the revenue.
The police cant act in this way with speed camera's, they cant be hidden in there actions.

I know this is my view, and i know DD we wont see eye to eye but its just my opinion.

Legally the Council cannot caution anyone as littering is a criminal matter.

I don't see the Council being at all sneaky on this one, they are publicising it as much as possible. They have publicised that littering is illegal, irresponsible and fine-able since before I was born.

If they changed the signs every time the fine changed they would be accused of wasting money (I believe the maximum fine is now £2500).

I'm trying my best not repeat myself and only raise new points however I will put a summary here.

There are signs all over the place (for years).
It has been publicised in just about every way possible (for years).
The criminals have been warned via verbal warnings and publicity(for years).
It is wrong legally and morally to litter (always).
The fixed penalty is quite small compared to the cost of smoking.
The non-litterers should not have to pay for this criminal activity.

I really can't see any defence, its a bad habit that people have got into because most haven't been fined in the past, its the lack of fines that has allowed this to happen which makes the cure obvious.

Stamping your fag end out on the street and leaving it their a criminal offence-----the laws an ass.
So do all the people who have been fined now have a criminal record?

No, if they pay a Council penalty notice then that exempts them from criminal prosecution for littering.

I am starting to loose respect for English Law, either it is or it ii not a criminal offence. To decriminalise something on payment of a "bung"is the road to a two tier system that favours the rich.
Michael Winner "you can drive in the bus lanes for sixty quid"

Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005

Wow you take your eye off the ball and look at how laws have been changed right under our noses.

I personally do not agree with £80 fines for a tiny bit of litter, but that's me. What i have found on my quest for more information is a whole load of things covered under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. First i had never heard of this Act, but then i doubt many have.

So if your caught littering it looks like the advice is pay up, and give your details.
But obviously check they are an official and not a fake / scammer.
You can video and take pictures of them, read this first. http://content.met.police.uk/Site/photographyadvice

• Litter Police : Summary

• penalty notices may be issued to children aged 10 or over, as well as to adults.
  This page states the age of 10 and above Click Me
  However i cant find it on legislation.gov.uk Click Me

• Who can nab you ?
  Litter authority authorised officers, including persons not employed by the local authority (includes parish councils, National Park authorities and the Broads Authority)
  Accredited persons - litter wardens
  Police community support officers (PCSOs)
  Power to photograph persons given a penalty notice

• Because you have :
  throw down, drop or otherwise deposit and leave litter in any place open to the air is a criminal offence, even when dropped on private land or water.

• And you will be charged under :
  Section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA), as amended by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, makes it an offence to drop, throw or deposit and leave litter anywhere.

• And your issued with a fine under :
  Section 88 of the EPA gives the power to issue a fixed penalty notice

• Power to require name and address Source
  (1)If an authorised officer of a local authority proposes to give a person a notice under section 6, the officer may require the person to give him his name and address.
  (2)A person commits an offence if—
  (a)he fails to give his name and address when required to do so under subsection (1), or
  (b)he gives a false or inaccurate name or address in response to a requirement under that subsection.
  (3)A person guilty of an offence under subsection (2) is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

I've posted the whole Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 Document and more details in a topic in its own right.

Follow this link. Click Me

I'm now educated to the new rules i knew nothing about.

And its not just wirral, by the way the Act has been written this is open to any area now, scotland and ireland have there own tweaks to the same acts. Maybe i just need to watch the news more. . . . .

Ministers are expected to announce the anti-litter strategy during the Conservative Party conference next week. As well as raising fines from £80 to £100, the Government may make fast food chains plaster litter warnings on packaging.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...louts-drive-clean-Britain-s-streets.html

Kingdom have been sitting out side asda brombough in an unmarked car just so you all know

Whatever the rights and wrongs of litter fines, there seems to be a fight-back by litterers in New Ferry.

Someone has been methodically vandalising litter bins down by the river, removing the inside bins from them and throwing them into the river. From there, they adopted a simpler method of uprooting them entirely and throwing them in the river!

Of course, it could be the council doing it, in order to increase revenue from fines...

How do you think your fixed with the litter police and leaves??

It came to my mind as i was driving along and i seen a guy with a blow gun, blowing the leaves from his drive onto the path / road.

Is this going to be the next revenue stream??