ONE unlucky Sidmouth woman has received an unwelcome Christmas present – an £80 penalty for fly-tipping.
ONE unlucky Sidmouth woman has received an unwelcome Christmas present - an £80 penalty for fly-tipping.
The resident received the fine after being spotted dumping a mattress in the Bowd lay-by.
She was visited by the REACT team from East Devon District Council (Respond, Enforce and Clean Team) who issued its first fixed penalty notice after she admitted the offence and accepted the penalty for littering rather than go to court.
And the on-the-spot fines look set to continue in the New Year as EDDC gets tough on fly-tippers.
Until now, REACT has been educating the public whenever possible if offences have been observed.
However, it is now taking a tougher stance and will begin to issue Fixed Penalty Notices for a number of offences, including littering.
The council has issued a New Year warning to ensure people remember to bin their litter and cigarette ends and dispose of larger items responsibly, or face the possibility of parting with £80 - or a maximum of £50,000 on court conviction.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here