Taxi driver fined £150 for dropping cigarette butt in South Cambridgeshire

A taxi driver has been fined £150 for throwing a cigarette butt on the ground.

A South Cambridgeshire District Council officer witnessed the private hire driver discarding the cigarette he had been smoking at Whittlesford Service station before getting back into his taxi.

He was given the chance to pay a fixed penalty notice (FPN) rather than attend court for littering, which is an offence under section 87 Environmental Protection Act 1990.

If convicted in a magistrates’ court, it can carry a fine of up to £2,500 and latest government evidence shows local authorities are spending about £40million a year dealing with smoking-related litter costs.

Public Health England say cigarette litter is present on 73 per cent of England’s streets, despite the decline in smoking.

Cigarette butts can take up to 12 years to biodegrade and contain harmful chemicals including formaldehyde, nicotine, arsenic, lead, copper, chromium, cadmium and a variety of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Cllr Brian Milnes (Lib Dem, Sawston), lead cabinet member for environmental services and licensing, said: “Littering is a blight up and down the country. We know how much it annoys our communities.

“Littering is anti-social behaviour and one person’s thoughtlessness creates an unpleasant environment for everyone. It’s very simple: please, either put your litter in a public bin or take it home to recycle or throw out. We will investigate such incidents and continue to issue offenders with £150 fines in an attempt to quell the issue.

“Anyone wishing to report someone for littering or fly-tipping can do so on our website at www.scambs.gov.uk/recycling-and-bins/report-or-request There is also a host of useful information on the website on how to deal with rubbish responsibly.”

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