'It's madness' - Margate shop manager fined for sweeping up cigarette butts

[Arthurgray50@blu]

http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/201...garette-butts/

Many years ago when l was a kid. You would go along the street, you would always local shops sweeping outside there shops. That's what l did, when l started working some 40 years ago.

Now we have these stupid Enforcement Job worthy officers giving out tickets for stupid things

This poor guy was fined for sweeping pavement, outside his store. And yet the council said 'because he made contact with the cigarette butts, he was breaking the law.

Grow up Councils

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/201...garette-butts/

Many years ago when l was a kid. You would go along the street, you would always local shops sweeping outside there shops. That's what l did, when l started working some 40 years ago.

Now we have these stupid Enforcement Job worthy officers giving out tickets for stupid things

This poor guy was fined for sweeping pavement, outside his store. And yet the council said 'because he made contact with the cigarette butts, he was breaking the law.

Grow up Councils

In fairness, this is just one incident at one council, not all of them.
Thanet argued the should should not have swept the rubbish into the road but collected it up.
The Council has probably been a bit extreme here, but I can see that Thanet needs to keep its roads clear of litter and not encourage lots of rubbish to be simply moved from the pavement into the road.

[Stephen]

Well if he swept it up and collected it to put in a bin then yes its a bit extreme.

however if he just swept it off the pavement and into the road then that is just as bad as the person dropping the butt.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Stephen

Well if he swept it up and collected it to put in a bin then yes its a bit extreme.
However if he just swept it off the pavement and into the road then that is just as bad as the person dropping the butt.

He swept it into the road.

"Environmental enforcement officers witnessed Mr Bond sweeping litter onto the road which is an offence under the Environmental Protection Act...while we appreciate that Mr Bond was trying to keep the entrance clear, had Mr Bond collected up and binned the litter, the outcome would have been different"
Geoff Dunne, Operational Services, Thanet District Council

I reckon they should have warned him before fining him.

[heero_yuy]

Does seem draconian to go in hard with a fine. He probably didn't even know that he was doing something wrong. A friendly warning would have been more appropriate IMO.

Unfortunately when offences like this are decriminalised and put under local council control, the enforcing body is also the direct beneficiary of any fines collected. The local council has every incentive to fine rather than to offer words of advice, and also to reject appeals in the hope the appellant will just pay up and go away.

[pip08456]

I wonder who they'll fine when rain washes the cigarette butts into the road?

[Taf]

I have read of cases where residents have moved leaves (from council street trees) off their property onto pavements, and being threatened with fines. Just after local councils stopped pavement and road sweeping for "austerity" reasons.