A report suggests than, on average, each council in England and Wales has had to clear 57 additional tonnes of waste between April and July 2020. In spite of this, more than half of these bodies have issued less than one fine per week and approaching one fifth have issued no fines for littering in the entire year (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/aug/27/councils-england-wales-littering). Littering is not only unsightly but it can be dangerous to wild life and a health hazard to humans. The organization Clean Up Britain, has described the maximum current on-the-spot fine of £150 as 'derisory' and have suggested that it be increased to £1000. I have great sympathy with their aims but I do feel that, with such an increase, things could get very messy. Whilst £1000 would be a maximum, I suspect that authorities would find it difficult to fix a fair tariff. What about the age of the offender? What about the offender having the ability to pay? What about the level of certainty linking the 'offender' to the inappropriately discarded item? We really need an attitudinal change in the entire public's response to litter. You get much less litter in areas of the world, where it is socially unacceptable to drop rubbish.
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