A Kidwelly teenager has been fined for dropping a cigarette end in St Catherine’s Walk in Carmarthen.
Jordan Anthony Beynon-Thomas was caught by council environmental enforcement officers who were on routine patrol in the town centre on August 3 this year.
He was issued with a fixed penalty notice but did not pay it, despite being sent a reminder letter and was prosecuted in court as a result.
He was convicted in absence to an offence contrary to Section 87 of The Environmental Protection Act 1990 by Carmarthen magistrates.
Beynon-Thomas, aged 18, of Maes Y Berllan, Llangyndeyrn, was fined £100 and ordered to pay £286.28 prosecution costs and a £20 victim surcharge.
Executive Board Member for Environmental and Public Protection Cllr Jim Jones said: “Dropping litter is against the law, whether it is discarding rubbish from a vehicle, throwing cigarette ends or spitting out chewing gum.
“Our enforcement officers carry out regular patrols across the county and we will not hesitate to fine anyone we see dropping litter.”
Figures show that 83% of litter found on county streets is smoking-related. Cigarette ends are very difficult and costly for the council to clean up as they fall into grates and cracks in the pavement and cannot be removed by normal cleaning methods.
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