Cigarette end

Hayley Buckley, 47, of Heston Street, New Cross, will also have to pay £60 costs to Swale council

A woman has been fined £80 for dropping a cigarette end in Sittingbourne High Street.

Hayley Buckley, 47, of Heston Street, New Cross, London, was found guilty at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court of depositing litter in a place that was open to the air contrary to Section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

The court heard how was seen dropping a cigarette end in Sittingbourne High Street on July 28, last year by a Swale Borough Council Street Warden on out on patrol.

The defendant did not attend the court hearing on February 9 and she was found guilty in her absence.

Buckley dropped her cigarette end onto the ground outside JC Rooks’ Butcher shop along Sittingbourne High Street and walked away.

After seeing her leave without making any attempt to pick up the cigarette end, a Swale Borough Council street warden approached her and issued her with a fixed penalty notice.

As the defendant did not pay the fixed penalty, the decision was made to issue proceedings and prosecute her for the original offence.

The magistrates considered the facts of the incident and were satisfied the matter had been proved and imposed the fine of £80 and awarded costs of £60.

Swale Borough Council’s principal street warden, Geraldine Chidley, said: “The message to anyone who may be tempted to drop litter or cigarette ends on the High Street is simple: put your litter in a bin, put your cigarette butt in the specific boxes provided up and down the high street, or take it home with you.

“There really is no excuse. Swale Borough Council has a zero tolerance policy on littering and we have the power to issue fixed penalty notices and will prosecute anyone if we have to.

“We take a tremendous pride in the cleanliness of our high streets and we will not have litter louts spoil this for anyone else.

“Everyone should know that it is wrong to drop litter, and we have erected signs throughout the borough to let people know that if they are caught, they will be given a Fixed Penalty Notice for £80.

“A recent survey showed that over three quarters of litter on the street is smoking related.

“We can all help to make Swale a much cleaner and safer place.”