News from Peterborough City Council

Eight people were fined up to £175 each for littering and were told to pay costs ranging between £107 and £189, as well as a £15 victim surcharge, when their cases were dealt with by Peterborough magistrates on Thursday 21 August, 2008.

 

The offences were committed between 15 January 2008 and 25 March 2008 and fixed penalty notices were only issued by Peterborough City Council's environmental wardens when the defendants were witnessed dropping litter and then walking away from the scene. Wardens are instructed that once the litter has been seen to be left, the fixed penalty is issued and subsequent attempts to recover the litter do not prevent the fixed penalty notice being issued.

 

The eight people whose cases were heard at Peterborough Magistrates' Court on Thursday 21 August were: Piotr Modzelewski, of Montagu Road, Walton, Peterborough; Paul Clarke, of Sprignall, Bretton, Peterborough; Alison Hunter, of Watergall, Bretton, Peterborough; Joanne Copeland, of Fearon Street, Greenwich, London; Paul Irvine, of Wildlake, Orton Malbourne, Peterborough; Shane Lander, of Welland Road, Dogsthorpe, Peterborough; Pedro Almeida, of Gladstone Street, Peterborough; and Daniel Butler, of West Street, Folkingham. All were proved in their absence and no pleas were entered.

 

The city council has pledged to take a robust approach to the enforcement of environmental crimes, such as littering, following consultation with the public, who highlighted it as a priority.

 

Measures employed to tackle environmental crime include, designated powers given to the city council's enforcement officers, along with Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and Street Wardens, to issue £75 fixed penalty notices (reduced to £50 if paid within 21 days) for graffiti taggers, litter droppers and fly posters across the whole of the city.

 

These initiatives together with educational campaigns and work with businesses have provided a coordinated approach to the problem of both environmental crime in the city centre and the townships of Peterborough.