No butts in Christchurch

Five people have been successfully prosecuted by Christchurch Borough Council after they discarded cigarette butts in the town.

All five were given Fixed Penalty Notices by the Council’s Civil Enforcement Officers who witnessed them throwing the butts away, but all of them failed to pay the £75 fine, so were taken to court.

The defendants – Stephen Riggs (46), Darren Maunders (42), Clive Henderson (62), Craig Dauncey (19) and Louisa Chandler (21) – were found guilty of littering under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 at Bournemouth Magistrates Court on Monday 10 May.

Four of the defendants are from Christchurch with one – Mr Maunders – from New Milton.

The offences took place in November and December 2009, three of them in Saxon Square, one in Bridge Street and one at Mudeford Quay car park

Fines totaled £750 for the five with costs awarded to the Council of £885 in total.

Peter Woodcock, Solicitor at Christchurch Council who prosecuted, said: “These convictions show that we are serious about prosecuting any irresponsible person who is caught throwing litter away on our streets. Some people may not think of cigarette butts as being litter, but they are and there are plenty of bins around which people can use without having to litter our town.”

Civil Enforcement Officers employed by the Council have the power to issue Fixed Penalty Notices for littering and also for dog fouling. A lady was issued with a Notice last week for failing to pick up after her dog at Steamer Point nature reserve.