Two motorists have been fined £500 after litter was thrown from vehicles in Wiltshire, with the penalty for the offence now increased to £750.
Wiltshire Council has issued two fixed penalty notices (FPNs) after separate incidents of litter being thrown from vehicles.
In the first case, an individual was seen throwing rubbish from a passenger window in Melksham. The incident was captured on dashcam footage and reported to the council.
The footage showed the litter being thrown from the vehicle and also captured its registration number, allowing council officers to investigate and issue a £500 fixed penalty notice.
In a second incident, two council enforcement officers witnessed litter being thrown from the passenger side of a vehicle while travelling behind it.
Following an investigation, another £500 fixed penalty notice was issued.
Wiltshire Council says littering continues to have a significant impact on the county's towns, villages, countryside and road network, as well as creating additional clean-up costs.
Under legislation introduced in 2018, councils can issue a civil penalty to the registered keeper of a vehicle when litter is thrown from it, even if the individual who actually dropped the litter cannot be identified.
Cllr Ian Thorn, Leader of Wiltshire Council, said: “Littering from vehicles is selfish, irresponsible and completely unacceptable. It blights our communities, harms wildlife and the environment, and leaves local taxpayers to pick up the bill for clearing it up.”
He said the two cases showed that where evidence is available, the council would take action, whether an offence is witnessed by enforcement officers or captured on dashcam footage.
From 1st September, the penalty for littering from a vehicle increased from £500 to £750, bringing it into line with Wiltshire Council's standard littering fixed penalty notice.
The council has also increased penalties for fly-tipping and household waste duty of care offences.
Wiltshire Council is developing a dedicated Littering from Vehicles category within MyWilts, allowing residents to report incidents directly and upload dashcam footage.
Anyone reporting an incident should, where possible, provide the vehicle registration number, date, time and location, along with any photographic or video evidence.
Report littering through MyWilts
The council says the new reporting process will make it quicker and easier for residents to submit evidence and support enforcement action.
Photo credit: gov.uk (chchg)
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