Fines and offences
We can fine or prosecute you if you are caught:
- dropping litter
- not picking up after your dog fouls
- dropping chewing gum
- fly tipping
- spraying/painting graffiti
Litter
It is a criminal offence to drop litter on the street or in a public area. If you are caught dropping litter then you may be given a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN). Litter can be defined as anything that you drop in these areas from cigarette butts to a rubbish bag. The penalty amount is £150 which must be paid within 14 days from the issue date. If you do not pay the penalty then you could end up in Magistrates’ Court where you could get a fine of up to £2,500 and a criminal record.
Dog fouling
It is an offence if you do not pick up your dog's mess after it has fouled in a public area. This includes roads, pathways and parks. If you do not pick up after your dog then you can be in breach of the Dog Control Public Spaces Protection Order.
Chewing gum
Chewing gum is extremely difficult and expensive to remove. Chewing gum counts as litter and therefore you can be fined and prosecuted if caught dropping it.
You can dispose of your gum using:
- gum targets
- litter bins
- or wrap it up and take it home with you
Gum targets are usually attached to lamp posts and currently have pictures of emojis on them. They are typically found in areas where there are a lot of people. You can find them in:
- Ilford Town Centre
- Barkingside High Street
- Manford Way, Hainault
We encourage you to stick your chewing gum on these targets . We try to select areas where there is a high number of people.
Fly tipping
Fly tipping is rubbish dumped illegally onto the street, alleyways or on any private or public land. We work with our residents to improve and keep the Borough tidy, this means eliminating and prosecuting fly tippers. View more information fly tipping.
Graffiti
If you see graffiti on any public street, area or park you can report it to us and we will remove it within 3 working days. Any graffiti that is racist or homophobic is always prioritised with an aim to get it removed within 24 hours.
If someone is caught painting graffiti they can be prosecuted.
If you have graffiti on your property, whether private or business then we can remove it but you could be charged depending on the nature of the graffiti.
