By Victoria Brenan

Last updated at 12:23, Monday, 24 September 2012

A litter lout has been taken to court for dumping 17 sacks of rubbish and seven people fined for dropping cigarettes in Carlisle.

Council chiefs said they were stepping up the fight against littering and fly tipping after revealing that 54-year-old Kenneth Johnson, of Shadygrove Road, Raffles, had been prosecuted for dumping the sacks of rubbish at Burgh by Sands.

Johnson, who admitted fly tipping, was fined £70 after Carlisle magistrates’ court heard how he left the black sacks of rubbish - which contained children’s toys and clothes – in a lay-by at Burgh by Sands.

Council investigators found evidence in the rubbish linking it to him and he was traced and prosecuted for fly tipping, contrary to the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Johnson was also ordered to pay £130 towards court costs and compensation for the cost of cleaning up his litter.

The city council said the court case was evidence of their litter campaign taking “another step forward” and said the enforcement team had also been out in action last week.

A spokeswoman said a team from the Environment Health Service had been patrolling Carlisle city centre and issued seven fixed penalty notices to people dropping litter.

Within just one hour, seven notices were served – all for people dropping cigarette butts.

Three warning letters were also sent out to under 18s caught littering.

The spokeswoman warned officers could issue fixed penalty fines of up to £80 to those caught littering, not clearing dog mess, spraying graffiti or fly posing.

Court fines can go up to £2,500.

Cleaning up Carlisle was one of the main promises of the Labour administration when it seized control of the city council in May.

Elsie Martlew, the councillor responsible for the environment, said: “Our workforce does a great job – the deep clean of the city centre and Botchergate, alongside their daily programme of street cleaning, is testament to their hard work.

“The new machines are another weapon to tackle our grot-spots and make Carlisle streets even cleaner. But we all need to work together to keep Carlisle clean and for residents to ‘Love Where you Live’.”

The council will soon launch a new education and enforcement team to tackle littering and dog fouling.

In addition, street cleaners have new equipment at their disposal as part of a £420,000 investment to defeat litter louts.

First published at 11:24, Monday, 24 September 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk