Nice Little Earner for LBH

geezer466 · **Joined:** Thu Jan 12, 2012 1:06 pm **Posts:** 1307

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-21200058

Quote:

The number of litter fines issued by English councils has rocketed from 727 in 1997 to 63,883 last year.

Now Inside Out has discovered three councils in London effectively incentivise XFor, a private company, to issue as many fines as possible.

Quote:

In Hillingdon the number shot from zero to 597, while in Enfield fines more than doubled to 360.

Last year in Hillingdon and Enfield, 97% and 94% of fines respectively were for dropping cigarette butts.

Josie Appleton, founder of civil liberties group the Manifesto Club, said: "Cigarette butts are easy to catch - wardens simply find a group of smokers at a bus stop and watch until someone drops a cigarette.

Quote:

"Perversely, when butts become such a lucrative source of revenue, councils lose interest in persuading people not to drop them in the first place.

"Few councils provide cigarette disposal bins, and smokers believe they shouldn't put their butt in an ordinary bin because it would risk fire."

Next time you are having a crafty drag at the bus stop beware the Council Gestapo might be watching you!!!

Kremmen · **Posted:** Mon Jan 28, 2013 1:58 pm

however, It's still unwanted litter and i don't blame Hillingdon for fining them.

Just my opinion though

geezer466 · **Joined:** Thu Jan 12, 2012 1:06 pm **Posts:** 1307

Kremmen wrote:

however, It's still unwanted litter and i don't blame Hillingdon for fining them.

Just my opinion though

Including the ones where they dropped their bank card? :lol:

Fair comment but you need to temper your dislike of smokers (one I share btw) and measure it against abuse of powers by the local authority....

Remember they cannot increase council tax although they would want to and as a result are resorting to stealth taxes to keep them in the luxury to which they have become accustomed.

jane · **Joined:** Sun Jan 22, 2012 1:09 am **Posts:** 463

So ... I'm at a bus stop, I drop my ciggy butt on the ground and the gestapo catch me ! I then give someone elses details to them for the fine ! What happens then

jim · **Joined:** Wed Jan 11, 2012 6:10 pm **Posts:** 1461

jane wrote:

So ... I'm at a bus stop, I drop my ciggy butt on the ground and the gestapo catch me ! I then give someone elses details to them for the fine ! What happens then

I dont think they care who they fine maybe when your fine comes in claim somebody has plucked it out of the air :lol:

jane · **Joined:** Sun Jan 22, 2012 1:09 am **Posts:** 463

jim wrote:

jane wrote:

So ... I'm at a bus stop, I drop my ciggy butt on the ground and the gestapo catch me ! I then give someone elses details to them for the fine ! What happens then

I dont think they care who they fine maybe when your fine comes in claim somebody has plucked it out of the air :lol:

Precisely what I would do

geezer466 · **Joined:** Thu Jan 12, 2012 1:06 pm **Posts:** 1307

jane wrote:

jim wrote:

jane wrote:

So ... I'm at a bus stop, I drop my ciggy butt on the ground and the gestapo catch me ! I then give someone elses details to them for the fine ! What happens then

I dont think they care who they fine maybe when your fine comes in claim somebody has plucked it out of the air :lol:

Precisely what I would do

Risky..... Could be construed as perverting the course of justice, if they convict you of this porridge of up to 7 years could ensue!!

As Chris Huhne MP who is alleged to have asked his former wife to take his speeding points may be about to find out next week.

jane · **Joined:** Sun Jan 22, 2012 1:09 am **Posts:** 463

But how would they know who I am ??? They're not the law !!! And if they gave me a ticket for a piece of thread or dropping a bank card I'd see them in court !!!

jim · **Joined:** Wed Jan 11, 2012 6:10 pm **Posts:** 1461

and the onus is on them to prove guilt not you to prove innocence. and within a timeframe.

geezer466 · **Joined:** Thu Jan 12, 2012 1:06 pm **Posts:** 1307

jane wrote:

But how would they know who I am ??? They're not the law !!! And if they gave me a ticket for a piece of thread or dropping a bank card I'd see them in court !!!

I suspect they have much the same powers as ticket inspectors on the underground and buses. If they are not happy you have given a correct name and address then they can detain and call the police.

The Local Authorities Act (enacted by the last Labour Govt) gave councils all sorts of new and weird powers to levy penalties, check for the right sort of rubbish in bins ect.

Of course this still doesn't stop you walking away and saying nothing (which is probably the best response) as they (unlike the police) probably cannot use force to detain you.

But if you do give a false name and address and they subsequently trace you, then it could open up all sorts of nasty avenues.

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