Barnsley council have ruled that throwing cigarette butts on the floor is to be allowed

******* stupid if you ask me.

The council have put specifically instructed its litter enforcement officers NOT to fine the selfish ******** who throw their filth on the floor.

Drop an apple an the council will fine you. Throw a cigarette butt on the floor and their officers have been told to pretend they hwvent seen it

That imo is a totally indefensible policy.

 

The problem is fining people without giving them the option of picking the litter back up, therefore it's more about revenue collection than keeping the streets clean.

 

If this is true then I can’t speyk. It’s bad enough that we’ve got potential lung cancer through passive smoking from the filthy selfish ******** but now we’re expected to stand in their **** that they can’t be bothered to fine a bin for.
My own personal view is that as lung cancer is possibly fatal but having your hands broken with a ball hammer isn’t, nonsmokers should be allowed an element of self defence.

 

I've heard stories about people getting fined for dropping a receipt by accident outside morrisons without the option to pick it up.

 

Thats how breaking the law works. Commit a crime, get punished. If you shoplift you get charged you dont get told to take it all back and we'll pretend it never happened.

 

It’s about time the sale of cigarettes was made illegal altogether. Yes l know it’s enforcement would be difficult but then isn’t everything these days. I’m one of the idiots that used to smoke and boy do l regret it now. Didn’t start until my early twenties and finally stopped in my mid forties. I’m now in my mid sixties and paying the price. I could preach about it all day but I won’t go on.

 

So it's revenue collection over education

 

This is the same council who have wasted 180 million of our council tax on a new town centre that isn’t going to make them any money
Whilst closing down day care unit for the elderly and disabled and fining motorists in free car parking areas good old Barnsley council

 

Punishment educates

 

How come all the prisons are still full

 

Because there are a lot bad people.

Do you honestly believe that people who deliberately throw thongs oncthe floor deserve no punishment? And that being fined for it doesnt educate them that they have done wrong?

 

I would say they should hire Kingdom but people will moan about them like they did when Kirklees Council had them. They brought in the council loads of cash from fining litter bugs. People then moaned that Kirklees was after easy money, instead of realising that if you don't drop your cig on the floor you won't get fined 75 quid.

The only gripe for me was smokers with their little tab end wasn't the biggest problem, but easiest to go after. Our main town centre street Cross Church Street is a taxi rank, bars and takeaways. It's always in the press for trouble down there. Kirklees should have sent Kingdom down there on a Wednesday (student night), Friday and Saturday and be brave enough to go after groups of drunks that chuck pizza boxes, cans of pop and other takeaway junk on the floor.

 

Give us the lottery numbers

 

Yes, some private companies are raising money for the council but they're raising a hell of a lot more for themselves, which is why you don't get the option to pick the litter up, it's not profitable.

 

Do you usually get the option to take the car back that youve youve nicked?

 

The chewing gum droppers are amongst the worst. Look at the pavement particularly around the Soul Bar, it's a disgrace. Cig butt ends can blow away/be swept up. The chewing gum is awful.

 

You have a point to an extent but comparing deliberate acts of theft to dropping litter than can easily be picked up by the perpetrator is a disproportionate comparison IMO.

 

Deliberately dropping litter is deliberate. If someone accidentally drops something they have commited no crime, if they deliberately drop it they should be punished. The environment isnt a joke. people shouldn't just be let off.

 

So you weren't in favour of upgrading/modernising our run-down tarn centre to try and make it a more attractive place to visit/shop for locals and visitors.

 

But people have been punished for accidentally dropping litter. not necessarily butt ends but other items. Sometimes you have to let common sense prevail. if they deliberately drop it and don't pick it up when challenged then fine them by all means. No-ones defending he deliberate litterers, just comparing them to a deliberate act of theft is disproportionate imo.