What's the law?Section 3(1) of the Litter Pollution Act 1997 states that "no person shall deposit any substance or object so as to create litter in a public place or in any place that is visible to any extent from a public place"
Biggest culprits?In the Litter Pollution Monitoring System system report, cigarette-related refuse accounted for 56 per cent of rubbish, with food at 26 per cent, packaging at 13 per cent, and paper at 3 per cent. Chewing gum accounts for a quarter of all food litter dropped
On-the-spot fines issued in 2006? 27,005
On-the-spot fines paid? 12,471
Reasons given for non-payment?Fines may have been cancelled by the local authority on appeal, due to "mitigating circumstances" or action taken by the offender to deal with the litter nuisance. Local authorities may choose not to proceed due to lack of evidence or because there is not a good chance of securing a conviction. It is often difficult to trace people who have changed address, particularly among transient populations such as students, tourists and visitors.