An Ammanford man has been fined £75 after dropping his cigarette on the pavement and then failing to pay the Fixed Penalty Notice.
Carmarthen Magistrates convicted Alex Matthew George Griffiths in his absence of an offence contrary to Section 87 of The Environmental Protection Act 1990.
The court was told that on Saturday December 7 last year Carmarthenshire County Council environmental enforcement officers were on duty at Quay Street Shopping Precinct, Ammanford, when they saw 24-year-old Mr Griffiths smoking a cigarette. He was then seen to throw his cigarette on the floor and walk off in the direction of Peacocks Store.
The officers approached him and explained that he had been seen discarding his cigarette on the precinct floor. He was asked why he threw his cigarette when there were litter bins in the area. He replied “I didn’t think. I just did it.”
Mr Griffiths, of Clos Y Coleg, Ammanford, was issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice. He failed to pay and was prosecuted.
He was fined £75 and ordered to pay £50 prosecution costs, and a £20 victim surcharge.
Executive Board Member for Environmental and Public Protection Cllr Jim Jones said: “Cigarette ends make an area look untidy and are difficult and costly to clean up as they fall into grates and cracks in the pavement which means they cannot be removed by normal cleaning methods.
“Cigarette ends are also the most common type of litter found on Carmarthenshire streets. Anyone caught dropping a cigarette or any other type of litter will be fined.”
Figures show that around 83% of all litter found on the county’s streets is smoking-related.
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