Bedford Borough Council issues fine for fly-posting by business

The latest success in the Bedford Borough Council's campaign against environmental crime involved fly-posting on Ampthill Road in December. A business owner put up signs for a furniture sale, which were soon reported to the Council.

The Bedford Borough Council Cleansing Team removed and disposed of them on the same day. The Council's Environmental Crime Team then followed this up by tracking down the person responsible using CCTV footage from the area.

Fly-posters are unsightly, spoil the environment and are illegal. They can also be a hazard to road users and pedestrians by obscuring the view of the highway, which can lead to accidents.

The Council removes and disposes of fly-posters as soon as they are reported and will always take enforcement action against those caught fly-posting. This could result in a fine of up to £2,500 for putting up a poster that is removed on the same day and so isn't a gamble worth taking for businesses, especially when cheaper and more effective ways to advertise are available."

Fly-posting is the unauthorised placing of advertising on property, without the permission of the owner. Fly-posting can be reported online at https://www.bedford.gov.uk/environmental-issues/keeping-bedford-borough-clean/graffiti-and-fly-posting. This allows people to give a precise location and a description of the fly-posting, they can also add any photos they have.

In this instance, Bedford Borough Council issued the highest Fixed Penalty Notice permitted by legislation, which is £100, and the business owner has since paid.

Find out about how we keep Bedford Borough clean and tackle nuisances such as noise and pollution, and how to report these environmental issues at https://www.bedford.gov.uk/environmental-issues