Clampdown on litterbugs

Nov 4 2005

LITTER louts had better watch out.

A new partnership has been formed between East Ayrshire Council and the procurator fiscals’ service to deal with litterbugs and fly-tippers.

The move comes just days after the council announced it had fined schoolkids for dropping their litter in a lunchtime blitz.

It also follows outgoing procurator fiscal Kenny Donnelly’s recent proposal that the council and the fiscals’ service should work more closely together to ensure environmental legislation is effectively enforced.

The council has a number of enforcement powers for dealing with environmental matters such as littering, fly tipping and dog fouling.

Many of the complaints received by councillors at their surgeries centre on these issues and a number of council staff have been authorised to issue fixed penalty notices to those involved.

Councillor Jim O’Neill, chairman of East Ayrshire community safety forum, said: “While local environmental concerns such as littering and dog fouling are causing considerable distress within the community, it nevertheless has to be recognised that the fiscals’ service deals with a wide range of crimes.

“Obviously priority has to be given to the more serious matters reported to them by the police. However we have had an assurance from the fiscals’ service that where council staff use their statutory powers to issue fixed penalty notices, the fiscals’ service will take appropriate action following any non-payment of these notices.”

All school pupils issued with fixed penalty notices in the council’s recent patrols were cautioned within the school and in the presence of senior teaching staff. The parents of the pupils involved have also been alerted to the fact that the notices have been issued.

Councillor O’Neill added: “We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from the community following this recent initiative. I think our approach will mean minimal additional work for the police and the fiscals’ service and maximum publicity for our efforts to deal with a problem which has persisted for many years.”