Dropped cigarette butt costs teen £200
A smoker was shocked to discover he had been fined £200 for dropping a cigarette stub in Wigan.
Lewis Ashcroft, of Comet Road, Marsh Green, received an initial fixed penalty notice of 50 after a council officer saw him dropping his lit cigarette outside Marsh Green library, in Harrow Road, last June.
As he was unemployed and studying at Wigan and Leigh College, he could not afford the fine and was ordered to go to Wigan Magistrates Court.
The 19-year-old admitted the offence, but did not attend court, so the case was dealt with in his absence.
He was fined 85, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of 15 and 100 costs – a total of 200.
Lewis, who has a three-year-old son, said: "I think it's a bit pathetic over a cigarette. There are worse things they can fine people with.
"I did pick it up and put it in the bin, but it was too late – the council officer said it was a criminal offence."
His mum, Mandy, 46, added: "He was gutted about the whole thing. He didn't swear or argue with them. He said sorry and put it in the bin.
"He couldn't afford the first fine – how is he supposed to afford 200? There are cigarette stubs outside my house. Will the council fine those who drop them?"
Coun David Molyneux, Wigan Council's cabinet champion for the environment, said: "Smoking may be a bad habit but dropping your used cigarette end on the floor is an even worse one.
"It's an expensive one because, in this case, just one cigarette ended up costing 200. People should be taking pride in their communities, which is why we are determined to clamp down.
"There can be no excuses for dropping litter anywhere. You wouldn't drop cigarette ends on your living room carpet, so why do it on the street for other people to clean up after you?
"This case shows we are willing to take the appropriate action when people are caught."
Simon Clark, director of Forest, a lobby group for smokers' rights, said: "We encourage smokers to dispose of their stubs carefully, but what concerns us is councils are targeting smokers in particular.
"Councils have a responsibility to provide cigarette bins, but often there is nowhere for people to put their stubs."
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Thursday 09 September 2010
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