Our enforcement team has handed out 154 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for littering and 30 for fly-tipping.

Most of the offences were for dropping cigarette butts and discarding fast food litter such as paper bags, straws and drinks cups.

The litter FPN amount is £80, while the fly-tipping FPN is £500.

In North Lanarkshire, offenders have fly-tipped furniture, construction waste, including rubble and asbestos, tyres, green garden waste, and household waste.

"Littering and fly-tipping are a blight on our communities. We take these issues seriously and will not hesitate to pursue offenders through the courts.” said Councillor Helen Loughran, Convener of the Environment and Climate Change Committee.

"Our enforcement team can report non-payment of littering offences to the Procurator Fiscal, and, in these cases, a higher fine is often issued to offenders.”

Fly-tipping and dropping litter are the most significant environmental challenges facing all councils. They are entrenched problems that have an enormous negative impact on the environment and are costly to fix, but they are solely due to people’s poor behaviour.

It can also cause hazardous chemicals to enter waterways, pose a threat to wildlife, attract pests, and spoil green spaces.

Our ‘It’s your place campaign’ aims to specifically address problems of fly tipping, illegal fly posting, vandalism and graffiti and dog fouling.

Councillor Loughran added: "Our message is clear: we will not tolerate these criminal behaviours, such as littering and fly-tipping. Our enforcement team will use all the powers available, including handing out fixed penalty notices to offenders and prosecuting more serious offences. 

"Everyone has their part to play in keeping North Lanarkshire's towns and villages clean."

Any unpaid fly-tipping FPNs generally lead to reports being made under S33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to the Procurator Fiscal.

We work closely with Police Scotland and SEPA to catch fly-tippers and secure positive results for communities.