Pupils to be fined for dropping litter
SCHOOLCHILDREN in the Moorlands could be hauled before the courts and fined thousands of pounds for dropping litter.
The district council is cracking down on young litter louts in response to complaints from the public about the menace, which is blighting areas around some schools.
Until now the authority has taken a softly-softly approach to schoolchildren dropping pop cans, crisp packets and chewing gum.
But it is now to adopt a get-tough stance, which could lead to young offenders facing prosecution and a fine of up to £2,500 if they do not pay the initial £80 penalty within 14 days.
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The approach is favoured by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which says the clean-up operation is costing councils half a billion pounds annually.
Currently offenders aged 16 or 17 in the Moorlands receive an on-the-spot fine, but 10 to 15-year-olds escape with a reprimand and an Acceptable Behaviour Contract for repeat offences.
In future they could also be fined and taken to court, although they will first be given the chance to take part in a litter pick in lieu of payment.
Schools could also be forced to take action by improving pupils' environmental education and parents of offenders will receive warning notices.
But the stance has been condemned by Sam Hale, pictured below, who represents the young people of the Moorlands on the Youth Parliament.
He said the council should get its act together and provide more litter bins before clamping down on young people.
He is a student at the Moorlands Sixth Form Centre, in Cheadle, but formerly attended Painsley Roman Catholic College, which provides its own bins.
He said: "A lot of my constituents have complained about the lack of bins, especially in Cheadle town centre.
"I think this is a little harsh, young people cannot afford to pay fixed penalty tickets."
But mother-of-three Janice Cooper, a pre-school practioner, of Cauldon Lowe, welcomed the move. She said: "I think it is a good idea. I have brought my children up not to drop litter."
Her son, Mark, aged 11, is a pupil at St Edward's Junior High School in Leek.
At his school the class which picks up the most litter is rewarded by being allowed in first for lunch.
Mark said: "I would not be scared of getting a fixed penalty notice because I don't drop litter."
District council executive director Andrew Stokes said: "Ultimately, it is hoped that the possibility of receiving a fixed penalty notice will act as a deterrent and that few, if any, cases will escalate to failure to pay and therefore subsequent attendance at a magistrates' court."
The council has issued 47 on-the-spot fines under powers that came into force four years ago as part of the Clean Neighbourhood Environmental Act 2005.
They have been handed out to people who dropped litter – including cigarette ends – as well as to dog owners who failed to clean up after their pets.
Comments
by Warren, Meir
Saturday, September 05 2009, 7:05PM
“And one thing to Sam, stick it in a bag or keep it in your hands untill you find a bin or you get home mate, there's a good little member of the youth Parlament.Your constuants...lol, they most lickly voted for you mate becouse no one ran aganst you or you had the best bike.”
by Warren, Meir
Saturday, September 05 2009, 6:56PM
“Fine the kid and the perants as well, at that early age, its obvious that they have not been brought up to respect there surroundings. "Who pays your wage" I'd have said "Well every one in the country, inclueding myself" realy confuse the little loves that would. and most of there un-educated mums and dads to.”
by norm, newcastle
Friday, September 04 2009, 3:41PM
“Marion, with you 100%. If only, say know more!. Shame those days have gone.”
by Marion, Stoke
Friday, September 04 2009, 2:32PM
“Agree - fine them. I'm a secretary in the school and one of the other secretaries saw a kid outside drop their litter on the floor. She said "are you going to pick that up?" the child said "do you know who pays your wages?". I would have said "yes, the same person who will be paying your hospital bills if you don't pick that up". Arrogant little devils, make them pay I say!!”
by Nicholas, Tean
Friday, September 04 2009, 11:22AM
“Can I firstly,as the father of Sam Hale, point out that Sam is not endorsing littering as he and his sister have been brought up from an early age never to do this. I do share his views on bins though. Only yesterday on Cheadle High Street I needed to go into a bakers and having looked in vain for a nearby bin was forced to stub out my cigarette and put the smelly butt in my pocket. Can I therefore recommend a practice I first saw in Prague more than twenty years ago where on opening their doors in the morning, each shop put out a tall weighted ashtray on either side of the door. I'm not sure if this was a legal requirement, civic pride or simply recognition that faced with an unfinished cigarette,many smokers would, unlike me, either stub their cigarette in the shop doorway or pass up the opportunity to visit the shop, both with unwanted commercial impact on the shop concerned.So come on shops, get your act together and Councils lets have more(possibly smaller ) bins, preferably of the type with cigarette stubbers on the top.
P.S As a member of Cheadle in Bloom, I have personally swept the streets of Cheadle and watched people drop litter near me even as I swept so I accept the need for fines-the problem simply needs a more structured approach.”
by kelly, stoke
Friday, September 04 2009, 10:42AM
“i think the point it target the children to get the parents to take some notice.i can imagine that if my child came home with this kind of fine a suitable punishment would be to send them out in the street to pick up litter from the front with gloves and a bag.this will then enforce dropping litter is bad and you will be punished so perhaps wont do it again in a hurry.”
by wain, newcastle
Friday, September 04 2009, 10:22AM
“The point here is how many school children have that kind of money anyway. My guess is it comes back on to the parents yet again.Just another way of getting money of cash strapped people again.”
by Lewis, Hanley
Friday, September 04 2009, 9:56AM
“Definately needs to be done, I regularly see children of school age dropping rubbish on the floor without any regard, they need to be shown that it is not acceptable. Obviously I see adults doing it aswell, which is where these children learn their habits from. Its no surprise that the streets of Stoke-On-Trent are such a mess; some people have no pride or consideration yet are always the first to complain about any mess.”
by kelly, stoke
Friday, September 04 2009, 9:32AM
“i think this should be for everyone not just kids,im sorry but the kids have learnt it from somewhere.My children put their rubbish in thier pockets until they find a bin to put it in simple.”
by JOHN, milton
Friday, September 04 2009, 9:22AM
“So does this mean the bin men that drop the rubbish from the bins in the roads and leave it there will get a fine?”