main content Criminal record for dumping rubbish outside charity shop

Mr Paul Keenan was convicted at Bromley Magistrates’ Court last month after pleading guilty to the offence and was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £295.

“As a council, we are committed to keeping our streets clean and free of dumped rubbish and litter and will use our powers to issue fixed penalty notices whenever possible. If they are not paid, offenders will be pursued through the courts where they could get a more serious fine and a criminal record” said Peter Turvey, Enforcement and Technical Support Manager.

It emerged that in July 2007, the council received a telephone call from the Last Chance Animal Rescue charity shop in Chatterton Road, Bromley, advising that bags of rubbish had been left alongside genuine charity donations. In response, an enviro-crime enforcement officer visited the shop and found three black bags of household waste and several boxes outside the premises.

A fixed penalty notice was issued for the littering offence after one black sack was found to contain evidence relating to Mr Keenan. The £80 fine must be paid within 14 days but is reduced to £50 if paid within 10 days. Following non-payment of the fine, a reminder letter was sent. When this failed to secure payment, another letter was sent advising that legal proceedings would commence.

Residents are warned not to leave donated items outside charity shops or they could risk getting a fixed penalty notice. Leaving unwanted items on the street, like bags of clothes or sacks of rubbish, is illegal.

Since the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 became law, councils have been able to issue fixed penalty notices for environmental offences instead of taking offenders to court. Fixed penalty notices, ranging from £80 to £300 can be given for littering and fly-tipping, not looking after your waste, graffiti and fly-posting, and abandoning a vehicle.

Anyone seeing an enviro-crime being committed should call the police and report the details to the council. A description of the offender, vehicle registration and a photograph would be helpful. Providing this information could be useful evidence and up to £500 may be given as a reward.

Further information on fixed penalty notices for environmental offences and the enviro-crime reward scheme are available from www.bromley.gov.uk/neatstreet  or by calling the Customer Service Centre on 020 8313 4557.

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact Andrew Rogers, Communications Advisor on 020 8461 7670 e-mail andrew.rogers@bromley.gov.uk or Peter Turvey, Enforcement and Technical Support Manager on 020 841 4901.

Further information is available at www.bromley.gov.uk