Woman fined for throwing cigarette end out of car window

A LLANELLI woman who threw her cigarette end out of a car window has been prosecuted in court.

Emma Michelle North was in the car park at Sandy Water Park on April 23 this year when council environmental enforcement officers saw her throw the cigarette out the window, despite there being a bin nearby.

She was issued with a fixed penalty notice but failed to pay it, despite being sent a reminder letter.

North, aged 30, of Rhandirfelen, pleaded guilty to an offence contrary to Section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 at Carmarthen Magistrates Court.

She was fined £75 and ordered to pay £65 prosecution costs plus a £20 victim surcharge.

The council is determined to clean up Carmarthenshire and has a zero tolerance approach to litter.

Executive Board Member for Environmental and Public Protection Cllr Jim Jones said: “Dropping litter is against the law and dropping a cigarette end is no different from throwing away any other sort of litter.

“Cigarette ends not only make an area look untidy but they are difficult and costly to clean up as they fall into grates and cracks in the pavement which makes them almost impossible to remove by normal cleaning methods.

“Anyone caught dropping any type of litter will be fined.”

Figures show that around 83% of all litter found on the county’s streets is smoking-related.