Car owners face stricter litter fines

Local authorities in England and Wales are seeking tougher laws to prosecute motorists who dump rubbish from their cars, the Times reported on Saturday.

The Local Government Association (LGA) wants the power to issue littering fines to vehicle owners in the same way as speeding violations, tracking them by their car licence numbers.

Current laws make enforcement difficult, even when the offence is caught on CCTV, as the individual dropping the litter has to be identified before a penalty is issued.

Two-thirds of local authorities have not prosecuted a single fly-tipper in five years, according to the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE).

A pilot of the stronger powers is due to start in London in June and could be extended across England and Wales if it proves successful, the paper said.

"Registered keepers of vehicles can be prosecuted for speeding if details of the offender are given, so why not for littering?" LGA Chairman Paul Bettison told the Times.

Bettison is due to meet Waste Minister Joan Ruddock on Monday to discuss his concerns.

"I am always horrified and angry when I see people throw something from a car," Ruddock told the paper.

CPRE President Bill Bryson called for tougher penalties for dumping rubbish, saying litter was becoming the "default condition" of the British roadside.

"If ... you put three points on the licence of any person caught littering from a vehicle, a lot of white vans would become instantly law-abiding, believe me," he wrote in an article for the paper.