South Lanarkshire will face fines for dumping rubbish

May 15 2008

PEOPLE who drop litter or dump rubbish in the countryside face a fixed penalty fine of £50.

The penalty for allowing dogs to foul pavements and verges is £40, rising to £60 if the fine is not paid within a month.

South Lanarkshire Council have 78 staff authorised to issue fixed penalty notices.

Laws to fine those who drop litter have been in place since 1991.

However, similar powers in relation to dog fouling and fly tipping were not introduced until 2003 and 2004 respectively.

In 2005, council enforcement officers issued 128 fixed penalty notices: 11 for dog fouling and 117 for discarding litter or chewing gum.

The figure rose to 188 in 2006, with 166 handed to those discarding litter or chewing gum and the rest for dog fouling.

Last year’s figure of 66 fixed penalty notices comprised 14 for dog fouling, 22 for littering and 30 for fly tipping.

So far this year, a total of 16 notices have been handed out in South Lanarkshire.

A council spokesman said the dip in the number of notices issued in 2007 was probably due to the “deterrent effect” of additional enforcement officers patrolling the streets.

The spokesman said it was not the normal practice to issue notices to those under 16.

However, under-16s caught dropping litter and gum have their names and addresses taken and letters are sent to their parents.