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What you can be given an on-the-spot-fine for
Think you’re a good law abiding citizen? You may be breaking the law and liable for an on-the-spot fine without even realising it.
Depending on how tough your local authority is, you can get slapped with a fine for anything from accidentally dropping a tenner to putting up a lost cat poster or feeding the ducks.
The number of spot fines being dished out by local authorities has shot up over the past ten years, from 13,926 to 226,640 a year, according to civil liberty group the Manifesto Club. Since the Government boosted local authority powers in tackling environmental crime, under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, some councils have even employed private companies to patrol the streets and dish them out.
These Fixed Penalty Notices or ‘spot fines’ can be given for ‘minor’ offences and while Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) publish guidelines for these fines, the final say is ultimately down to local authorities.
Some councils’ interpretation of their new powers has seen homeowners faced with fines of £1,000 for putting their bins out a day early, £250 for throwing an apple core in a hedge and even a fine for dropping a crisp.
So what can you be fined for?
Lost pet posters
Sticking posters up to alert the neighbourhood to the plight of your missing pet can incur a fine as some councils class this as ‘littering’ or ‘fly tipping’ and point to the Environmental Protection Act 1990 which states that fines can be given to any person who "throws down, drops, or otherwise deposits any litter".
Fines are generally around £50-£80 but Bedford Borough Council hit the headlines when it threatened a pet owner with a £1,000 fine, but says this was because he nailed his posters to trees.
Dropping your cash
Most of us don’t make a habit of throwing our money around, but if you accidently drop some cash in the street, this seemingly innocent accident could cost you around £50-£80. Research from the Manifesto Club claims fines have been handed out for ‘offences’ including dropping a £10 note in the street.
According to the ‘letter of the law’ when it comes to littering, Defra say it can be argued that even if something ‘falls’ from your pocket, then an offence has been committed. While it says that a fixed penalty notice should only be issued where there is evidence of ‘intent’, it’s ultimately down to local authorities to decide where to draw the line.
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Happy Birthday banners
Even those home-made ‘Happy 40th Birthday [insert name here]’ banners you see draped over street signs or stuck up on roundabouts can land you with a hefty fine. It may seem like a bit of fun but this can be construed as ‘fly-tipping’ or ‘littering’ and land you with a £50-£80 fine.
Feeding the ducks
Throwing bread to the birds can cost you £2,500 a time if you do it in parts of Cambridgeshire. Some councils such as East Cambridgeshire District Council have notices warning of fines if you feed the ducks anywhere other than on the water.
Yet just a few miles down the road Cambridge City Council say it won’t impose fines for feeding the ducks, just providing you take your ‘rubbish’ home afterwards.
Opening a bottle of booze
Crack open a bottle or enjoy a beer while having a picnic and you could face a fine of around £500, depending on where you are. These fines could be handed out by the police if you refuse to hand over any alcohol if you’re caught drinking within a local authority ‘controlled drinking zone’.
These ‘no drinking’ bans are intended to crack down on alcohol problems across some town centres but in some areas the ban can be far reaching and may include some local parks.
Selling your car
Forget eBay, the latest way to flog your car or bike seems to involve parking it on a grass verge or somewhere near a major junction to capitalise on free advertising.
Under Defra guidelines ‘nuisance’ parking which can cover anything from parking on pavements and obstruction carries a fine up to £100, although some authorities such as Redditch Borough Council have hit the headlines with fines up to £1,000.
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Handing out leaflets
Even the Women’s Institute ran into problems when they were threatened with spot fines after a group tried to put up posters and hand out leaflets promoting a fundraising event.
Some local authorities including Brighton, Leicester and Leeds have designated ‘leafleting’ zones where you have to pay a fee if you want to hand out flyers. Without one you could be fined around £50-£80.
Putting your bin out early
Being too keen to get rid of your rubbish, not bringing your bin in quickly enough or even having the lid open just a couple of inches have all incurred the wrath of local authorities with fines of up to £1,000.
Last year Defra announced cuts to hefty local authority fines in excess of £100 and these now start from £40.
