Getting tough on litter louts

Dec 19 2008 by Craig Robertson, Dumfries Standard Friday

Getting tough on litter louts

TOUGHER action will now be taken on the Dumfries litter problem thanks to the People’s Project.

Local police are now behind the clean-up campaign – and they warn anyone caught dropping litter in the town faces a £50 fine.

Officers will be on heightened alert for litter louts amid calls for a hard-line approach from People’s Project pioneer, Mark Jardine.

Yesterday, he told the Standard: “This is great news and we needed the police to back us on this to enforce the law.

“People like Dumfries Civic Pride couldn’t do it all on their own.

“It won’t happen overnight but hopefully people will start to realise that if they drop litter they will suffer from this hard-line approach.”

The backing of the local police follows months of campaigning from Dumfries businessman Mr Jardine in his Standard-backed clean-up drive.

He added: “This reflects the will of the public and the will of the shopkeepers who want to see the town clean.

“Hopefully the New Year will be a fresh start for Dumfries and everyone will start to do their bit.”

Superintendent Graeme Galloway, of Dumfries and Galloway Police, said: “We fully support the People’s Project and their aims and objectives and will support it through taking action on litter.

“It is a criminal offence to drop litter and we will enforce the law where we come across it but obviously there are competing priorities across the division and we cannot always be there.

“We are not going to jail people from dropping a chip paper but the protocol is that they will be asked to pick it up.

“If that doesn’t happen then they will get reported and a fixed penalty will be issued.

“It is all about educating people about this.”

Mr Jardine added: “I would call on all members of the public to tell their friends about this and get it touch if they can help the People’s Project.”

The council is also on board with a new littering process where they were fine members of the public if referred by police.

Constable Iain Aird, Dumfries Town Centre community officer said: “Littering could be an expensive lesson for people – a £50 fixed penalty ticket with a maximum fine of up to £2,500 should you be taken to court.

“It’s cheaper and easier just to put your litter in a bin.”