WHAT IS THE COST OF KEEPING STREETS CLEAN?

Bedford Borough Council is embarking upon a new campaign to rid the town of litter, graffiti, fly-tipping, and dog fouling on pavements and open spaces. The campaign will emphasise the cost to the taxpayer and also the detrimental effect upon communities.

The campaign will include education to encourage everybody to become involved and engage widespread community support. The new campaign will be linked to 'Pride in Bedford', and will be launched later this month (August 2010). Feedback from the community will be sought, by way of a questionnaire throughout this period, so as to make any outcomes as effective as possible.

Bedford Borough Council currently clears over 5,500 tonnes of rubbish from the Borough's street every year, which equates to around 3,000 sacks of litter every day, costing local taxpayers around £1 million per year.

Cllr Charles Royden, Portfolio Holder for Environment & Transport at Bedford Borough Council said: "Bedford Borough is a great place to live and work and our Borough Council works really hard to keep everywhere clear of rubbish and graffiti. Sadly some people are making this task harder, I am repulsed when I see fast food containers thrown out of cars or people spray painting walls. We have started a consultation and education process, I hope that residents will support us in taking a firm stance against anti-social and criminal behaviour such as littering, fly-tipping and graffiti. Law abiding taxpayers should not have to pay the bill for those who drop litter. If people do continue to litter then they will face fines and they will be taken to court."

The council currently has powers to issue on-the-spot Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN) from £50 - £100. Failure to pay can lead to further sanctions through criminal prosecutions resulting in fines of up to £2,500 for each offence as well as a criminal record.

Research will be conducted to find out what Bedford's residents think of the fines? What they define as litter? and solutions for more effective enforcement regimes for those who fail to act responsibly.

Bedford Borough Council would like to remind people who witness an enviro-crime being committed, that they can report it. This can be done by providing as much information as possible to act as evidence and may be used to prosecute.

This may include:

• Location, time and date

• A description of the offender

• Vehicle registration

• Any photographs

You can report a littering offence by contacting Bedford Borough Council on 0800 121 8888.