Hidden Camera Catches Suffolk Litter Bug

1 April 2010, 10:34 | Updated: 1 April 2010, 10:49

A commercial vehicle driver's been fined £60 after his littering was caught on a hidden camera.

Babergh District Council’s Environmental Protection Team uses hidden CCTV cameras to deter people from fly-tipping and littering by placing the camera in known hotspots and monitoring the footage.

While reviewing camera footage recorded at a hotspot in the parish of Freston, in February, Babergh’s enforcement officers witnessed the driver throw litter out of the window of a lorry and then drive off.

The driver was traced with the assistance of the company responsible for the vehicle, and faced with the evidence against him, admitted his actions and chose to accept a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of £60 as an alternative to prosecution.

Malcolm Firth, Babergh’s Head of Natural and Built Environment, said: “Babergh takes a zero tolerance approach to littering and we are pleased to be using our hidden CCTV cameras as an additional means of deterring and catching offenders.

“There is no excuse for littering, especially from vehicles, and we hope that by raising awareness of this incident, other drivers will think twice before committing a litter offence.

“The message is quite clear - if you are in a vehicle and have some litter to dispose of, either put it in a litter bin or take it home.”

This is the second year Babergh's successfully used this technology to take formal enforcement action for a littering offence - with a similar incident being caught on CCTV last year in Great Cornard, which also resulted in the driver receiving a fine.