Cabbie Fined £901 After Dropping Cigarette End
14th December 2010
A taxi driver has been ordered to pay £901 after he was caught dropping a cigarette butt in the street.
Mark John Hewitt, 36, of London Road, Markfield, was observed by a Charnwood Borough Council street warden dropping the cigarette end in Ashby Road, Loughborough, on April 7, 2010.
The street warden alerted the council's licensing team who contacted Hewitt, who is licensed to drive a taxi in Charnwood, to warn him about smoking in his cab.
He admitted smoking in his cab and was sent a warning letter. He was also sent an £80 Fixed Penalty Notice but failed to pay it.
He was subsequently summonsed to Loughborough Magistrates' Court to face a charge of littering.
Hewitt failed to attend his trial and was found guilty in his absence of littering under S87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (as amended).
He was fined £200 for the offence, ordered to pay the council's costs of £686.42 and ordered to pay a £15 victim surcharge.
Councillor Hilary Fryer (Conservative, Barrow & Sileby West), Charnwood Borough Council's cabinet member for the environment, said: "We will not tolerate littering of any description in this Borough and will seek to take action against those who think it is okay to blight our streets."
"In this case, the defendant ended up with a huge fine when he could have accepted his actions were unlawful and paid a £80 fine in the first place.
I hope this case acts as a deterrent and illustrates how important environmental matters are to this council.
Source; http://www.inloughborough.com/news/0991 ... ette%20End
Login
Register
FAQ
