Expensive takeaway as Northam Burrows litterbug hit with £100 fine

A Torridge resident who enjoyed a takeaway from a local restaurant has been slapped with a £100 fine after littering Northam Burrows with the remains of their repast.

A passer-by who discovered the litter near Westward Ho! took to social media to register their disgust after finding discarded drink cans and leftover take-away food packaging while walking over the dunes at Sandymere on the Burrows.

The post struck a chord with many others, who were outraged that such an environmentally important site as the burrows could be desecrated in such a casual and selfish manner.

Torridge District Council officers became involved and negotiated the removal of the social media post so that it wouldn’t interfere with their active investigation.

With a clear indication the food had come from a local takeaway, the officers were able to piece together the clues, which led to an interview under caution for a surprised local resident.

This in turn led to a fine of £100 being issued to the offender and a promise by the culprit that they would modify their behaviour in what the council said ‘appeared to be genuine remorse for their actions’.

The council wants to remind residents and visitors that dropping or depositing litter on any land in the open air is an offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and offenders can face fines and prosecution, as in this case.

People should dispose of their litter responsibly or if no bin or recycling point is nearby, take their litter home for disposal.

Councillor Philip Hackett – Lead Member for Public Health and Community Safety said: “Littering is sadly an ongoing problem for many councils, taking up valuable officer time and costing the council many thousands of pounds to investigate and clear up.

“Beside all of that it’s such a blatant disregard for the beautiful environment we’re lucky enough to live in and I’m glad our officers have such a good track record of tracking down and catching those responsible.

“Support from the public is vital as well, so we encourage people to come forward and report cases they come across and our officers will do the rest.”