Cigarette littering proves costly

Dropping a cigarette butt in a McDonalds car park has cost one Pontarddulais woman £450.
Natasha Leanne Edwards, of Vaughan Crescent, was seen dropping the end by Carmarthenshire Council enforcement officers, in the overspill car park of the Carmarthen eatery.
The 30-year-old admitted littering to officers next to her parked cream coloured mini car on Saturday, January 4 around lunchtime.
When asked by them why she had littered, despite her standing next to a bin, her response was “I don’t know why.” She was issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice.
Failure to pay could lead to prosecution in the magistrates court where the maximum fine is £2,500.
Despite being given extra time to pay no money was received.
In her absence and in a prosecution led by Carmarthenshire County Council, Llanelli magistrates fined her £220 for littering under Section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. She must also pay £200 costs and £30 victim surcharge.
Figures show that approximately 80% of litter found on Carmarthenshire streets is smoking-related.
The council’s executive board member for enforcement, Cllr Philip Hughes said: “We are determined to clean up Carmarthenshire and hopefully the fine will serve as a deterrent to others. Cigarette ends are difficult and costly to clean up as they fall into grates and cracks in the pavement and cannot be removed by normal cleaning methods.”