A woman has been forced to pay out £220 after being caught throwing a cigarette out of the window of her car.



Sharon McBride, of Loftos Avenue, was caught dropping the cigarette by Blackpool Council officers in March.

After failing to pay the initial fixed penalty notice for littering, McBride was summoned to Blackpool Magistrates Court, where she pleaded guilty by letter on Wednesday (20.7.16).

The £220 cost was made up of a £100 fine plus the £100 court costs and £20 victims’ surcharge.

Council officers spotted the driver throwing her cigarette end out of her car window at the junction of Church Street and Whitegate Drive, before following the car to issue her with the fixed penalty notice.

The fine is the latest in a crackdown by the authority on people who drop litter.

Cllr Gillian Campbell, Deputy Leader of Blackpool Council, said: “Dropping litter is my absolute pet hate. It’s completely unacceptable, whether that is leaving a crisp packet on the floor or flicking a cigarette out of your car window.

“If we spot anybody littering then we won’t hesitate to give them a fine. There are no excuses for littering as it not only makes the town look untidy but it also costs the taxpayer to clean it up.

“Our Keep Blackpool Tidy campaign is all about making Blackpool the cleanest seaside resort in the UK by 2020 and we need everybody to play their part in it being successful, by choosing to put their rubbish in a bin rather than dropping it on the floor.

“In Blackpool you are never too far from a litter bin and hopefully our recent prosecutions will make people think twice before they drop litter in the future.â€

The synthetic filters in cigarettes can take years to biodegrade, normally meaning that they are washed into the sewer system and end up polluting the sea, as well as making an area look untidy.

The fine for dropping litter and dog fouling in Blackpool is £80 - £50 if paid early - and a new contract between Blackpool Council and environmental enforcement company 3GS is hoped to reduce littering in the resort when it starts this summer.

The contract will see uniformed officers from the company providing a visible presence in the town centre and Promenade as well as handing out fines to people who are caught dog fouling or littering.