30 November 2009
City of London warns smokers: ‘dropping cigarette butts could
cost you a packet’
Smokers caught dropping their cigarette butts in the Square Mile
could be issued with an £80 Fixed Penalty Notice, and may face a
hefty fine and prosecution, as part of an anti-litter campaign
launched this week by the City of London Corporation.
The ‘No ifs. No Butts.’ campaign promises to adopt a tough
approach to people who drop their smoking-related litter, including
cigarette butts, packets, lighters, matches and cellophane
wrappers, on the City’s streets.
Every day, around 7,000 cigarette butts are collected by the
City of London’s street cleansing service, which does 67 manual
sweeps of the Square Mile in a 24-hour period.
An £80 Fixed Penalty Notice can be handed out by a team of 10
‘Street Environment Officers’, who have been working with City
businesses to target smoking-related litter. It is a further
offence to fail to provide accurate contact details, for which a
court summons will be issued - and if convicted, a fine of up to
£1,000 will be imposed.
So far, more than 30,000 people have received an electronic
version of a ‘red card’, warning them that they could be fined up
to £2,500 if they were to be prosecuted. Staff from the City of
London’s Environmental Services Department have also handed out
‘red cards’ and portable ashtrays in ‘hot spot’ areas in the Square
Mile.
The campaign is backed up with a concerted effort by the City of
London Corporation to encourage businesses to extend and upgrade
their cigarette litter bin facilities on their premises, and
coincides with the distribution, on request, of City of London
‘Minibin’ pocket ashtrays.
Philip Everett, Director of Environmental Services, City of
London Corporation said:
“As the campaign’s name suggests, we’re taking a tough line on
people who litter our streets. The City of London takes great pride
in working with businesses for a cleaner and more attractive Square
Mile, and we expect this campaign to have an impact on people’s
behaviour, if not their purses and wallets when they are caught
dropping litter. It can be time-consuming to clean it up, and we
are keen to work with City firms to prevent it.”
Phil Barton, Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy, said:
“We are pleased that the City of London is taking this issue
seriously, because cigarette litter looks terrible and is turning
our streets into a giant ashtray. Clearly, many smokers have yet to
be convinced that their cigarette stubs are litter, so they need to
act responsibly, get a personal ashtray or use the bins provided.
There can be no excuse for throwing cigarette butts on the ground.
It's lazy and disgusting."
More details about the campaign by the City of London
Corporation, which is among the top six highest-performing local
authorities in England and Wales for street cleansing, can be found
at
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cleancity
Ends
Notes for editors
The City of London Corporation is a uniquely diverse
organisation. It supports and promotes the City as the world leader
in international finance and business services and provides local
services and policing for those working in, living in and visiting
the Square Mile. It also provides valued services to London and the
nation. These include the Barbican Centre and the Guildhall School
of Music & Drama; the Guildhall Library and Art Gallery and
London Metropolitan Archive; a range of education provision
(including three City Academies); five Thames bridges (including
Tower Bridge and the Millennium Bridge); the Central Criminal Court
at Old Bailey; over 10,000 acres of open spaces (including
Hampstead Heath and Epping Forest), and three wholesale food
markets. It is also London’s Port Health Authority and runs the
Animal Reception Centre at Heathrow. It works in partnership with
neighbouring boroughs on the regeneration of surrounding areas and
the City Bridge Trust, which it oversees, donates more than £15m to
charity annually.
Press enquiries
Andrew Buckingham, Press Officer, City of London
Corporation
Tel: 020 7332 1452 / Mobile: 07795 333 060
Email:
andrew.buckingham@cityoflondon.gov.uk