COUNCIL chiefs say smokers are not being “singled out” by litter enforcement officers, despite more than 98% of fines handed out being for dropped cigarette ends.

One man - hit with a £60 fine after he disposed of his cigartte end down a grid - is to appeal against the fine.

Litterbugs have been handed more than 1,100 fixed penalty notices in the first month of the “zero-tolerance” crackdown by Wirral Council.

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The authority hired national agency Kingdom Ltd to provide enforcement action across the borough, with patrols using high-tech methods - including body cameras – to gather evidence of offences.

Enforcement began on July 1, with 1,176 fixed penalty notices handed out by the end of the month – a staggering amount compared to the 90 handed out between 2010 and 2015.

But more than 98% of the fines were issued for cigarette-related items – mainly cigarette ends.

Globe reader Mark Shingler said he had been slapped with the £60 fine – which goes up to £80 if it is not paid within 10 days – after disposing of a cigarette in what he thought was the correct way.

He said: “I was in Birkenhead shopping precinct this week and was smoking a roll-up cigarette. When I’d finished it, as usual, I placed it down a grid and used my foot to make sure it was fully gone.

“Within seconds I was faced with an arrogant ‘officer’ telling me I was being fined for littering – how can putting a cigarette end down a grid be littering?

While the fine has been paid, the so-called “litter lout” said he will be appealing the officer’s decision.

“Yes, there are litter bins in the precinct but they are lined with plastic bags and I have often seen them smouldering away due to lit cigarettes,” he added.

“I watched this office for a while and saw him pass the street drinkers who drop cans and bottles in a no-alcohol zone every day – and he did nothing.

“Is it just smokers being fined and if so, in my case, where are the signs saying putting things down grids or drains is littering?

“You can’t go shopping without being pestered for cash by drinkers who seem to get away with anything as neither the police nor council seem to be interested in doing anything at all about them.”

Wirral Council said a limited number of wall-mounted cigarette bins are being provided free of charge to local businesses in an effort to encourage staff and customers who smoke outside their premises to dispose of their litter responsibly.

A council spokesman said: “Discarding a cigarette end down a grid is littering and the enforcement officer was right to issue a fixed penalty notice if that is what they witnessed. 

“Smokers are not being singled out, if enforcement officers witness littering of any kind then they will issue a fixed penalty notice.“Litter enforcement officers are on the streets solely to enforce the legislation around litter.”

The new anti-litter crackdown has received mixed views from Globe readers and while many have praised the scheme, others have described it as a “cash cow”.


It could prove profitable for Wirral Council and, if all of the fines issued in July are paid, the authority could earn between £70,000 and £94,000.

But the crackdown could also cost the authority money if the fines are not paid.

A percentage of each fine goes straight to Kingdom.

In 2013, the Croydon Advertiser reported that the private firm was paid £45 by their local authority for every litter fine they issued and with only 57% of fines actually paid, the authority was out of pocket more than £3,000.

A spokesman for Wirral Council said they too operate a similar scheme, with Kingdom receiving a percentage of each fine, although they could not tell the Globe how much as it is deemed “commercially sensitive” information.

The council says it will take all steps possible to ensure fines are paid to minimise the financial risk to the authority.

Those who fail to pay the fixed penalty could be taken to court.