- 333 fines for littering
- 77 fines for littering from a vehicle
- 52 fines for cycling in pedestrian zone in Grimsby town centre
- 52 fines for taking dogs on Cleethorpes main beach
North East Lincolnshire Council has fined more than 500 people for messing up the borough since 1 April.
A total of 333 fixed penalty notices were given for littering, 77 for littering from vehicles and 52 for walking dogs on the main beach.
In addition, 52 fines were issued to people cycling in the pedestrian zone in Grimsby town centre. The fines were issued between 1 April and 31 July 2022.
It comes as the enforcement officers who carry out the patrols are also starting to Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) for some parking offences.
Officers can now give PCNs for parking contraventions they witness while on patrol for littering, dog control and cycling offences.
Councillor Ron Shepherd, cabinet member for Safer and Stronger Communities at North East Lincolnshire Council, said:
“Most people want their streets, parks and beaches to be clean, safe and attractive places to visit and enjoy.
“If you choose to mess up the borough or put others at risk by cycling in the town centre, we will fine you.
“Enforcement officers are here to protect the environment and act as a deterrent to the minority of people who think it’s fine to leave their rubbish for someone else to clear up.
“We’ve fined more than 500 people in only four months and we will pursue those who make the place look a mess.”
He added:
“Officers are also now authorised to issue penalty charge notices for some parking contraventions whilst they are on patrol.”
Fixed penalty notices are an alternative to criminal prosecution and offenders are given 14 days to pay. Anyone who chooses not to pay a fine can be taken to court and prosecuted for the original offence.
Penalty charge notices are different in that they are a civil matter and failure to pay results in debt recovery rather than court action.
Council officers regularly work with other enforcement agencies to tackle offences such as fly-tipping and waste offences.
In April and July, they teamed up with Humberside Police and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) as part of a crackdown against unlicensed waste carriers.
Background
North East Lincolnshire Council started working with Doncaster Council to introduce private patrols for litter and dog fouling in November 2018.
Officers from Local Authority Support carry out patrols and gather evidence, which is passed on to Doncaster Council who issue the fixed penalties on behalf of North East Lincolnshire Council. For parking violations, they will pass evidence to civil enforcement colleagues at the Council’s regeneration services partner EQUANS.
Early in 2019, officers enforced against other dog control offences covered by a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO). Officers also started fining people for cycling in the pedestrian zone in Grimsby town centre in July 2019. PSPOs were recently renewed following a public consultation.
Council enforcement officers investigate other matters such as fly-tipping and waste carrier offences.
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