Warning after man gets £2k bill when person spotted tossing cigarette from van
An East London council has issued a 'stern' warning to others after a Barking man was handed a hefty fine for refusing to disclose the culprit behind a roadside littering incident.
Ionut Roberto Fabina Speriusi was landed with a £1,784.78 bill after repeatedly ignoring official requests to reveal who was driving his white transit van when a cigarette was tossed from the window on Rainham Road South last October.
Environmental enforcement officers first spotted the littering offence on 1 October 2023. After tracking down the van's owner through DVLA records, they issued a Driver Identification Notice giving Mr Speriusi 21 days to name the culprit.
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When he failed to respond, a follow-up prosecution notice was sent - but again met with silence. The case ended up at Barkingside Magistrates Court, where Mr Speriusi was absent but still found liable for:
£660 fine
£860.78 in council costs
£264 victim surcharge
= £1,784.78.
Councillor Syed Ghani, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety said: “We don’t stand for littering in Barking and Dagenham, and I am glad to see the courts agree with us and have imposed such a big fine – it is a fantastic result. I hope this sends a stern warning to anyone else who wants to litter, that if they’re caught, action will be taken.”
It comes as, in a separate incident, a man from East London has been ordered to pay nearly £2k over noise dogs at his home. The neighbours of Mr Syed Uzeir Iqbal complained to Barking and Dagenham council over excessive barking on Corwallis Road.
On 9 February 2024, the council’s Environmental Enforcement Officers visited the house and witnessed "extreme noise", the council said. It was found that the house was being used for kennelling of security K9 dog units. The case took place at Barkingside Magistrates Court on 28 January 2025 where Mr Iqbal failed to attend and he was found guilty in his absence. He was ordered to pay a fine of £660 within 28 days, costs to Barking and Dagenham Council of £1,001.74 and a Victim Surcharge of £262, totalling £1,923.74.
Councillor Syed Ghani, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety said: “Excessive noise nuisance affects the quality of life for our residents, and we take these complaints very seriously."
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