Merton has successfully convicted a woman who carried out a littering offence in the borough.
Ms Carmel Plummer, from Clapham, was seen dropping cellophane wrapping from a car window while on Chapter Way, in Abbey Mills, on 23 May last year.
She was subsequently issued with a fixed penalty notice of £75, due to be paid within 14 days, which she failed to pay.
The matter was referred to court and on 4 March this year she was fined £200 for the offence, and ordered to pay costs of £200 and a victim surcharge £15 at Wimbledon Magistrates Court.
Merton Council cabinet member for performance and implementation, Councillor Mark Betteridge, said: ‘We are working hard to keep Merton’s streets clean so residents can enjoy and feel proud about where they live. Keeping our streets clean costs Merton more than £3m every year, and it’s money which could be better spent on other vital services for residents. We will not tolerate the minority of people who litter or fly-tip, and will stand up for the many law-abiding residents in the borough.’
Merton Council provides over 800 litter bins across the borough. The council is currently trialling Smartbins to reduce the amount of gum and litter in Merton, as part of its anti-litter campaign.
For more information, please visit http://www.merton.gov.uk/litter-enforcement
-ENDS-
Notes to editors:
About the London Borough of Merton
An outer London borough to the south west of the capital with a population of 200,000 residents living in 80,000 households and served by 7,500 businesses. Formed in 1965, the borough’s five main town centres are Wimbledon (taking in the Village, the Broadway and South Wimbledon), Mitcham, Morden, Raynes Park and Colliers Wood.
Merton is home to the world famous All England Lawn Tennis Club, where the Wimbledon Championships take place every year bringing an extra 500,000 people into the borough for the tennis extravaganza.
In the 13th century, the Statutes of Merton, the basis of common law in England and seen by many as the forerunner for modern parliament, were signed here. In the 19th century Merton was a place of industry where famous names such as Arthur Liberty and William Morris based their businesses on the River Wandle. The Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson also lived in Merton.