Fixed penalty notices - how many are issued
Fixed penalty notices - how many are issued
Here you will find details of the numbers of fixed penalty notices we issue in each financial year for environmental offences
Fixed penalty notices issued
| 2023/24 | Issued | % paid | % paid or convicted |
| Littering | 2,489 | 80.9 | TBC |
| Dog fouling | 12 | 72.7 | 100 |
| Fly-posting | 117 | 84.6 | 98.3 |
| Free printed matter | 23 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Waste deposits | 105 | 82.9 | TBC |
| Waste transfers | 34 | 67.6 | TBC |
| Smoking in smoke-free premises | 81 | 96.3 | 100.0 |
| Issued | % paid | Cancelled | Cancelled by adjudicator | Criminal FPN issued | Pursued through Traffic Enforcement Centre | |
| Littering (civil penalty) | 6 | 83.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022/23 | Issued | % paid | % paid or convicted |
| Littering | 1,417 | 82.3 | 99.3 |
| Dog fouling | 4 | 75.0 | 100.0 |
| Fly-posting | 132 | 85.6 | 93.2 |
| Free printed matter | 1 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Waste deposits | 105 | 92.4 | 97.1 |
| Waste transfers | 34 | 85.3 | 100.0 |
| Smoking in smoke-free premises | 41 | 98 | 98 |
| Issued | % paid | Cancelled | Cancelled by adjudicator | Criminal FPN issued | Pursued through Traffic Enforcement Centre | |
| Littering (civil penalty) | 5 | 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2021/22 | Issued | % paid | % paid or convicted |
| Littering | 853 | 88.0 | 99.6 |
| Dog fouling | 3 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Fly-posting | 20 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Free printed matter | 2 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Waste deposits | 102 | 91.0 | 100.0 |
| Waste transfers | 41 | 87.8 | 95.1 |
| Smoking in smoke-free premises | 42 | 95.2 | 97.6 |
| Issued | % paid | Cancelled | Cancelled by adjudicator | Criminal FPN issued | Pursued as debt | |
| Littering (civil penalty) | 9 | 77.8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2020/21 | Issued | % paid | % paid or convicted |
| Littering | 399 | 84.9 | 98.7 |
| Dog fouling | 4 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Fly-posting | 21 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Free printed matter | 4 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Waste deposits | 68 | 89.7 | 1 withdrawn, 6 prosecuted (1 discontinued, 5 pending) |
| Waste transfers | 37 | 70.3 | 5 withdrawn, 6 prosecuted (1 acquitted, 2 convicted, 3 pending) |
| Smoking in smoke-free premises | 43 | 95.1 | 97.6 |
| Issued | % paid | Cancelled | Cancelled by adjudicator | Criminal FPN issued | Pursued as debt | |
| Littering (civil penalty) | 2 | 50.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2019/20 | Issued | % paid | % paid or convicted |
| Littering | 3,530 | 84.7 | 99.4 |
| Dog fouling | 5 | 60.0 | 100.0 |
| Fly-posting | 57 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Free printed matter | 27 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Waste deposits | 75 | 84.0 | 94.7 |
| Waste transfers | 28 | 89.3 | 100.0 |
| Issued | % paid | Cancelled | Cancelled by adjudicator | Criminal FPN issued | Pursued as debt | |
| Littering (civil penalty) | 11 | 54.5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 2018/19 | Issued | % paid | % paid or convicted |
| Littering | 4,746 | 84.4 | 99.8 |
| Dog fouling | 14 | 84.6 | 100.0 |
| Fly-posting | 49 | 98.0 | 100.0 |
| Free printed matter | 19 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Waste deposits / waste transfers | 114 | 81.3 | 90.2 |
| Issued | % paid | Cancelled | Cancelled by adjudicator | Criminal FPN issued | Pursued as debt | |
| Littering (civil penalty) | 4 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/a |
| 2017/18 | Issued | % paid | % paid or convicted |
| Littering | 3,182 | 85.9 | 99.9 |
| Dog fouling | 9 | 66.7 | 88.9 |
| Fly-posting | 45 | 88.9 | 100.0 |
| Free printed matter | 32 | 90.6 | 93.8 |
| Waste deposits / waste transfers | 113 | 81.8 | 97.2 |
| 2016/17 | Issued | % paid | % paid or convicted |
| Littering | 3,126 | 85.9 | 99.7 |
| Dog fouling | 21 | 71.4 | 95.2 |
| Fly-posting | 40 | 90.0 | 95.0 |
| Free printed matter | 30 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Waste transfers - no paperwork | 74 | 87.9 | 98.6 |
| 2015/16 | Issued | % paid | % paid or convicted |
| Littering | 3,127 | 83.4 | 99.6 |
| Dog fouling | 17 | 62.5 | 100.0 |
| Fly-posting | 64 | 95.3 | 100.0 |
| Free printed matter | 70 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Waste transfers - no paperwork | 30 | 96.7 | 100.0 |
Number of prosecutions for litter, dog fouling and fly-posting where a fixed penalty notice was not issued
| Litter | Dog fouling | Fly-posting* | |
| 2024/25 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| 2023/24 | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022/23 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 2021/22 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 2020/21 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019/20 | 37 | 0 | 5 |
| 2018/19 | 31 | 1 | 36 |
| 2017/18 | 41 | 0 | 83 |
| 2016/17 | 43 | 1 | - |
| 2015/16 | 62 | 3 | - |
Prosecutions for waste crime
Only minor waste crimes will result in an option of paying a fixed penalty. Details of the number of prosecutions for fly-tipping and other waste disposal/management offences are on our fly-tipping page. These are also reported to HM Government and published annually along with other data on fly-tipping incidents and enforcement actions.
Notes
Littering - depositing litter, contrary to section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (fixed penalty notice issued under section 88)
Littering - depositing litter from moving vehicles contrary to section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (fixed penalty notice issued under section 88A and The Littering from Vehicles Outside London (Keepers: Civil Penalties) Regulations 2018 which enable councils in England (outside London) to issue a civil penalty notice to the keeper of a vehicle from which litter is thrown). Only one penalty, either a civil penalty, or a criminal fixed penalty may be issued in respect of any one littering offence.
Dog fouling - failing to remove dog faeces from land to which a public spaces protection order applies, contrary to sections 67 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 (fixed penalty notice issued under section 68)
Dog fouling - (prior to May 2017) failing to remove dog faeces from land to which a dog control order applies, contrary to Schedule 1 to the Dog Control Orders (Prescribed Offences and Penalties, etc.) Regulations 2006 (fixed penalty notice issued under section 59 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005)
Fly-posting - displaying advertisement in contravention of regulations, contrary to section 224 of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990 (fixed penalty notice issued under section 43 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003)
Fly-posting - painting/affixing unauthorised mark/sign on highway structure, contrary to section 132 of the Highways Act 1980 (fixed penalty notice issued under section 43 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003). *Number of illegal advertisements resulting in summons.
Free printed matter - distributing free printed matter without consent, contrary to paragraph 1 of Schedule 3A to the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (fixed penalty notice issued under paragraph 7)
Waste deposits - depositing of waste on land otherwise than under an in accordance with an environmental permit, contrary to section 33(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (fixed penalty notice issued under section 33ZA) - available since May 2016
Waste transfers - failing to comply with a duty to furnish documents, contrary to section 34(6) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (fixed penalty notice issued under section 34A)
Waste transfers - failing to ensure transfer of household waste is only to an authorised person, contrary to section 34(2A) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (fixed penalty notice issued under section 34ZA) - available since January 2019. The Council is required to report on these numbers.
If you would like to give us feedback on our website, please complete this short online form.