Littering going unpunished by many councils

New data has revealed that most councils in England and Wales issue less than one fine a week to litterers, with one in six issuing no fines at all across a year.

Campaigners at Clean Up Britain said the level of littering was ‘shameful’ and that enforcement of fines by councils should be made compulsory. Enforcement varies across the country, with a handful of the councils in England and Wales issuing more than 100 a week.

Littering has increased as more people have visited parks during the coronavirus pandemic, with Keep Britain Tidy finding that councils each have had to clear up an average of 57 tonnes of additional waste from April to July. The campaigners think that the maximum on-the-spot fine of £150 was “derisory” and should be increased to £1,000.

Clean Up Britain received replies to their freedom of information requests from 169 councils, representing more than half of councils in England and Wales. The majority – 56 per cent – issued less than one litter fine a week and 16 per cent issued no fines at all in the financial year 2018-19, the most recent year for which the FOI data is available.

The London borough of Hounslow issued the most fines for littering, with 156 per week, and Bristol council was second, with 151 a week. But Harrogate, Stevenage, Bridgend, Derbyshire Dales and South Somerset councils were among those issuing no litter fines at all.

John Read, the founder of Clean Up Britain, said: “It’s depressing, shameful and embarrassing what a dump this country has become. Litter is a complex issue and there is no single silver bullet. However, it is very important to have an effective and punitive deterrent and that is totally lacking in Britain.”