HAVING to pay out over £400 just for dropping a cigarette butt in the street may seem a harsh punishment, but the severity of the sentence sends out a strong message that littering will not be tolerated in Worcester.

Emily Attwood, 21, found herself in the sights of Worcester City Council after she dropped a used cigarette in Spring Gardens on August 2 last year.

After the council pursued her for the offence, the case went all the way to Worcester Magistrates Court and on Friday, February 8, following a guilty plea, Attwood was sentenced – and she may well have been surprised by the amount she was ordered to pay as punishment.

She was fined £100, ordered to pay a £30 victim services surcharge and £275 in court costs – a total of £405, all for dropping one cigarette butt.

But it's the principle that makes the sentence justified. If nobody was fined when caught dropping a used cigarette, our city would be awash in them because, sadly, many people think it's acceptable to litter in that way. They'll feel differently after seeing Attwood's punishment.