On-the-spot fines on the way for littering?

Friday 20 March 2015

Plans are being hatched to introduce new on-the-spot fines of up to £100 for littering.

Police from Jersey are due to go over to meet their opposite numbers from the City of London – where Jersey Police Chief Mike Bowron spent five years as Commissioner – to talk about their system of giving people instant fines.

The City of London has passed rules saying that anyone caught dropping smoking-related litter can receive a fixed penalty notice for £80 or could face a Magistrate Court fine of up to £2,500.

They brought in the rules because an estimated 6 million cigarette butts are dropped on city streets every year, costing around £3.8 million to clear up.

And now concerns about littering here have prompted Home Affairs Minister Kristina Moore to push for an on-the-spot fine system.

In the States this week she told colleagues that a meeting in London was planned soon.

In response to a question from St Mary Constable Juliette Gallichan, the minister said: “Discussions and thoughts on this matter are ongoing and I am hoping soon to attend the City of London where we will meet some police officers there and see what technology they have that helps them to implement on-the-spot fines.

“We would be delighted to discuss this with the Honorary Police, in particular in St. Helier where I am very aware that the Constable would like more to be done on the subject of littering, and particularly cigarette ends.”