Almost 2,000 fines have been handed out to people, including for cycling and littering on a busy Grimsby street, since 2018.
North East Lincolnshire introduced the private patrols for littering and dog fouling in November 2018, as part of an agreement with Doncaster Council.
More than 1,855 fixed penalty tickets have been issued across the whole borough for offences including littering, cycling and dog fouling, since enforcement began in 2018.
Cyclists have been given 135 fixed penalty notices for riding in the pedestrianised area on Victoria Street since the rules came into effect in July 2019.
Ninety-two of those tickets were issued from October to December 2019 for littering and cycling. This includes 377 fixed penalty notices issued by LA Support officers in the last three months of 2019. The majority of these were handed out in Grimsby town centre.
Councillor Ron Shepherd, cabinet member for Safer and Stronger Communities at North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “People are sick to death of seeing out of control cyclists whizzing along Victoria Street. Not only are they a nuisance, but they cause significant risk to passers-by and it may only be a matter of time before someone gets injured by a reckless rider.
“Enforcement officers are often the first line of defence against problem behaviour, and help keep our town centre a safe and pleasant place for visitors.
“They are also a helpful presence on the streets, and are often on hand to help people who get into trouble, by providing first aid or assisting the emergency services.”
Officers from Local Authority Support carry out patrols and gather evidence which is passed on to Doncaster Council who issue the fines on behalf of North East Lincolnshire Council.
Private patrols were introduced after a wide-ranging public consultation in 2017. People said they wanted to see more enforcement against those who litter and don’t pick up after their dogs.
This was followed by the introduction a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for a number of other offences in summer 2019.
North East Lincolnshire Council works closely with other organisations, including the police and local businesses, to enforce legislation and help keep the town centre safe.
As well as littering, dog control and cycling offences, officers can also enforce against smoking in commercial vehicles.
Eight tickets were issued in the final three months of 2019 as part of the smoke free Fixed Penalty Notices. These tickets comply with legislation introduced in 2007.
Anyone who chooses not to pay a fine can be taken to court. Cases are heard in Sheffield under the Single Justice Procedure.
More than 210 individuals have been summoned to court, with 150 cases heard before the court resulting in costs and victim surcharges of over £42,000. Each non-payer now has a criminal record.
Neil Clark, strategic lead for regulatory services, said: “People who refuse to pay run the risk of having to pay increased fines. Court fines are often far in excess of a fixed penalty notice, and also include court fees and a victim surcharge.
“Anyone who is given a fixed penalty ticket is welcome to contest the fine, but it could end up hitting them in the pocket, and is unlikely to help them in the long run. The recent rulings show the courts are supportive that the tickets have been issued correctly and we will continue to enforce our rules on littering, cycling and dog fouling.”
Article from NELC.
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