New crackdown on litter louts brings on-the-spot fines of up to £150

Litter louts could find themselves slapped with an on-the-spot fine of up to £150 in a new crackdown introduced this weekend.

The penalty, which came into force across England on Sunday, is almost double the previous £80 fine.

Councils can also use the littering penalty against vehicle owners who throw litter from their car.

The Government said tougher penalties are needed because keeping the country’s streets clean costs local authorities £680 million a year.

Environment Minister Therese Coffey said: “These new fines will tackle anti-social behaviour by hitting litter louts in the pocket, whether it’s litter that is thrown from a vehicle or dropped in the street.”

She added: “Littering is a scourge on our environment and we waste taxpayers’ money cleaning it up – funds which could be better spent in the community.

“We want to be the first generation to leave our environment in a better state than we found it, and I encourage everyone to take responsibility for their litter and recycle more.”

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But ministers councils against abusing the powers and said they should take into account factors such as local ability to pay when setting the level for penalties.

Edmund King, president of the AA, said: “There is no excuse for car litter louts. Tossing rubbish from vehicles spoils the environment, costs millions and puts road workers’ lives at risk when they have to clear up.”

The Local Government Association’s environment spokesman Martin Tett added: “Councils being able to issue increased fines to litter louts, who show no consideration for the community they live in, will send a strong message to those who think their laziness is more important than the environment in which they live.

“Allowing councils to fine the owners of vehicles which litter is thrown from, rather than expecting councils to prove who exactly in the vehicle had thrown litter, is also something that the LGA has long called for.”