Dropped Cigarette Butt Costs Man £535 At Court

A dropped cigarette butt has cost an Surrey man £535, after he was prosecuted for littering in Sittingbourne.

Maidstone Magistrates Court found Anthony Nevin, of Reigate Road in Epsom, guilty and sentenced him to a fine of £50 and ordered him to pay a victim surcharge of £30 and legal costs of £455 within 90 days.

Mr Nevin failed to pay a fixed penalty notice of £80 having been caught dropping a cigarette on Sittingbourne High Street last year. He pleaded not guilty to the offence of littering in March and failed to attend the trial on Monday 30th May, where he was found guilty in his absence.

Emma Wiggins,Iinterim Director Of Regeneration at Swale Borough Council, told SFM News: "Some people might think that by ignoring the Fixed Penalty Notice we'll forget about their offence and the problem will go away. This prosecution clearly shows that is not the case. We are determined to get the message through that we - and the overwhelming majority of people in the borough - won't tolerate littering on our streets."

For more information about Swale Borough council's work to tackle litter across the borough, visit: swale.gov.uk/litter.