Have your say on litter louts

Litter louts who drop rubbish in Hammersmith & Fulham could be hit with an extra-heavy penalty in the near future.

London Councils, the organisation representing all the capital’s local authorities, is asking Londoners how much they think litter bugs should be fined for dropping their rubbish on the streets.

This antisocial behaviour can currently lead to a fine of £75 in H&F, but residents are being urged to tell London Councils that they want to see the council given the powers to sanction an even tougher penalty.

Cabinet member for crime and street scene, Cllr Greg Smith said, “Left over burgers, greasy chip wrappers, half eaten kebabs, cigarette butts and chewing gum cause a feast for rats. It costs the council millions to clean up after litter louts every year and proves to be a huge burden on council tax payers. We urge residents to respond to this consultation and call for tougher penalties to be put in place.

“Although we already issue fixed penalty notices for littering, the vast majority of law abiding residents want us to take even tougher action on the anti-social minority who foul up our streets so now is the time to get the message across to London Councils.”

You can have your say on how much you think people should be fined for littering by emailing environmentteam@londoncouncils.gov.uk with ‘Penalty Charges’ in the subject line. Respondents are also asked to gives reasons why they would like to see an increase. The deadline for responding to this consultation is 8 May 2009.