Man tracked down after throwing cigarette out of car in Andover and taken to court

A man has been tracked down after throwing a cigarette butt out of his car window in Andover and been forced to pay more than £500 in fines.

Sam Murphy of Churchill Place, Basingstoke, was spotted littering on 30 May by an officer from Test Valley Borough Council.

He was later tracked down following a DVLA search.

The council issued a £75 Fixed Penalty Notice, which it says he failed to pay within the statutory 14 days, and so the council took him to court.

At a hearing at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on 11 October, the defendant was ordered to pay a £150 fine, £60 victim surcharge and £300 costs. 

Portfolio holder for environmental services, Councillor Nick Adams-King, said: “It’s really not difficult to avoid dropping litter.

"And then to fail to pay the fine shows what little regard this individual has for authority as well as the environment. But we will not let these things slip, so if people fail to pay then we will take them to court. Hopefully, he will think twice before littering again in future.”

It comes as new specialist teams are due to launch new patrols in Tonbridge and Malling to punish those dropping rubbish on streets.

Any litter louts caught, including those dropping cigarette butts, could face fixed penalty charges of up to £150.