We are reminding drivers of the consequences of throwing litter out of the car.
This is after securing two successful car littering prosecutions in one day at Chelmsford Magistrates Court on Thursday 3rd December.
Bircan Ay, aged 54 of Coggeshall Road, Braintree, was witnessed smoking in the his licensed Hackney Carriage vehicle on the 3rd February 2020 and then littering the cigarette butt while travelling along Coggeshall Road, Braintree, contrary to the Health Act 2006 and the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Mr Ay pleaded guilty to the offences, was fined and ordered to pay costs which in total came to £282.
Elliot Peacocke of Montfort Drive, Great Baddow, was witnessed depositing lots of waste from the passenger windows of his vehicle by a Braintree District Council Street Warden whilst travelling behind him along Hatfield Road, Witham to Hatfield Peverel on the 22nd October 2019. When the vehicle stopped, the Street Warden tried to deal with the offences however the occupants of the vehicle would not provide details. Mr Peacocke was identified as the owner of the vehicle and requested to provide the details of the offenders under the Environment Act 1995, but failed to comply. Mr Peacocke failed to attend court and the case was heard in his absence. He was found guilty, was fined and ordered to pay costs which in total came to £1,224.
Councillor Wendy Schmitt, Cabinet Member for Environment and Place at Braintree District Council, said: “I am pleased to see that, once again, our officers have successfully brought people who are irresponsibly littering and damaging the environment to justice, with one of these cases sending a clear message that even if it wasn’t you that dropped litter from your vehicle, if you fail to provide information on who it was then we will prosecute. We will always take dumped rubbish, fly tipping and littering in our district extremely seriously - we are lucky enough to live in a very beautiful area of the country and, as a council, we will pursue and follow up with enforcement action in order to protect it.”
Residents can report any instances of fly-tipping, dumped rubbish or litter to us via www.braintree.gov.uk or calling 01376 552525.