DROITWICH drivers are being warned they could be fined £150 for throwing rubbish out of their car window in Wychavon District Council’s latest crackdown on roadside littering.
Wychavon’s Civil Enforcement Officers started sending out penalty notices in the post this week, using criminal legislation to catch the culprits.
The vehicle owner will be issued a fine in the post and failure to pay will result in the debt being passed to a recovery agency which can lead to further charges.
Not only does littering spoil the appearance of the district, it also poses a threat to wildlife.
A recent report from Keep Britain Tidy warned cans and bottles were acting as graveyards for some of the country’s rarest mammals, including shrews, voles and wood mice.
The council hopes the new methods in place will encourage motorists to get rid of their rubbish responsibly.
Coun Emma Stokes, Executive Board Member for Environment on Wychavon District Council said: “We don’t want to be issuing fines to anyone.
“What we want is for people to dispose of their rubbish responsibly.
“There can be be no excuse for throwing anything out of your vehicle’s window.
“I’d urge drivers to support our effort to create a cleaner district by ensuring they and their passengers keep it and then bit in.”
In October a motorist in Droitwich was fined £75 after being caught on a fellow driver’s dash cam throwing cellophane wrapper from a cigarette packet out of his window.
Drivers can visit www.wychavon.gov.uk/report-it to report littering and upload dash cam footage of those flouting the law.
