More staff to ticket litter louts

Council staff will be trained to hand out £75 on-the-spot fines to litter louts who refuse to pick up their mess.

Newark and Sherwood District Council enforcement officers can already issue tickets, but do not actively look for culprits.

Now the carpark attendants are being retrained as litter wardens. Park rangers, licensing officers, and police community support officers are also being given ticket books.

The head of environmental services, Mr Andy Statham, said fines could be handed out for dropping cigarette ends and chewing gum, takeaway wrappers or larger household items.

He said culprits caught by officers or viewed on talking security cameras would be asked to clear up before fines were issued.

He said it was not about making money. It was about encouraging people to use litter bins.

“People have no idea how much rubbish is cleaned off the streets early in the morning, with most of it being takeaway wrappers and mess from the night before,” Mr Statham said.

“Most people come into the town when it is clean so they do not see the effort that goes into keeping it like that.”

Mr Statham said the three carpark attendants would be replaced by contractors on May 12, who would take over the policing of both off and on-street carparking.

The attendants will be renamed community enforcement officers, and they will spot litter bugs and people who do not clear up after their dogs.

Twelve people will be authorised to hand out the fines.

The waste enforcement officer, Mr Ron Dawes, said staff would visit schools to speak about littering, as many popular walking routes to schools were often the areas worst affected by litter.

These included school routes such as London Road and Bowbridge Road.

Hollowdyke Lane, Balderton, was popular with fly-tippers.

Fines can be issued to anyone 14 and above, although juveniles’ parents would have to be informed and the process involved more paperwork.

The scheme will begin in Newark but the wardens will work throughout the district.

The senior policeman for Newark and Sherwood, Chief Inspector Mark Holland, has agreed that 30 community support officers could also be authorised to issue the fines on behalf of the council.

Parish councils can employ their own litter wardens.