FIRST £150 FINE ISSUED: Bolton Council catch private hire driver littering out of car window

A Bolton man has become the first in the borough to be fined £150 for throwing litter from a car window.

Fines for littering from a vehicle can be issued under legislation which came into force in 2018.

CCTV footage from the early hours of Monday 4 October, showed the driver of a private hire vehicle depositing litter onto the pavement in a residential area before driving off.

The private hire vehicle was licenced with Salford City Council.

The footage was sent to the council's environmental enforcement team by a local resident and officers were able to identify the owner of the car using DVLA records.

A Penalty Charge Notice of £150 was issued to the driver at his home address in Bolton. Previously authorities had to precisely identify who threw the litter in order to issue a fine, but recent changes mean the registered keeper can now be held responsible if any litter is thrown from their vehicle.

Bolton Council Deputy Leader, Cllr Hilary Fairclough, said: "Littering is completely unacceptable. Unfortunately, there are a minority of people who commit these thoughtless acts.

“We will not hesitate in taking action against anyone caught dropping litter in our borough.

“The message is clear; if you drop litter from a car or otherwise, expect to receive a fine. For the most serious offences and repeat offenders, you may find yourself in court for a more significant penalty.”