New crackdown on littering from vehicles coming into force later this month

The offence brings with it a fine of £150.

The government had earlier given local authorities powers to use littering penalties against the registered keeper of a vehicle if it can be proved litter was thrown from it.

Previously it was difficult to prove who was responsible for throwing litter from a vehicle but the new law makes the registered keeper automatically responsible.

Councillor Lee Carter, Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for neighbourhood, commercial services and regeneration said: “Litter is a blight on our borough. Our recent litter picks along the A442 have shown just how much rubbish there is.

Costly

"Dozens of sacks were filled and much of it comes from the side windows of cars, vans and lorries. Picking up litter across such vast areas of the borough is both time consuming and costly and we want to put a stop to it.”

Councillor Richard Overton, cabinet member for enforcement, said: “We are on the side of those who play by the rules.

"As part of our ‘education first, enforcement later’ approach we are giving people information about the new law that we will be adopting from April 26.

"We are giving offenders time to mend their ways before we have to resort to having to issue penalty notices.

“This law which we are about to adopt means if there is evidence to show that litter was thrown from a vehicle, the registered keeper will get the fine regardless of who actually did it.

“We know it is a small minority who blight our community and if, despite our efforts to persuade them to change their ways, they persist in offending, we will have new powers to issue these increased fines.”