A new team of litter wardens will be on hand to dish out fines for anyone dropping litter, or fly-tipping, across the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon (ABC) Borough.
The four new District Enforcement Officers will begin their work from Monday, November 11.
ABC Council has partnered District Enforcement Limited –headquartered in England – to “enhance and enforce its zero tolerance approach to littering, fly-tipping and dog fouling”.
The officers will supplement the work of Council’s four Environmental Wardens in carrying out patrols across the Borough, giving advice and issuing Fixed Penalty Notices to offenders.
Already this year, the council has been involved in around a dozen Fixed Penalty Notices handed to those responsible for fly-tipping.
People who are found responsible for fly-tipping will face a Fixed Penalty Notice of £400, while those who fail to pick up after their dog face a fixed penalty fine of £120 and similarly those who drop litter will be fined £120.
Those who do not pay the Fixed Penalty Notice will be subject to court action and there are no early payment reductions.
The new District Enforcement Officers will proactively patrol all areas of the borough, including city/town centres, villages, parks and open spaces. They will also respond to concerns over areas which are particularly adversely affected by dumping, litter or dog fouling.
A Council spokesperson said: “While the Council recognises that the vast majority of residents respect and look after their areas, they remain committed to pursuing those who continue to cause harm to the environment, local wildlife and the climate through littering offences.
“Members of the public can also help in the fight against litter, fly-tipping and dog fouling, by reporting incidents via the ABC Council App which is available to download on the App store and Google Play store, or by calling the Council’s Environmental Health team directly on 0300 0300 900.”
Previously, ABC Council contracted in another private firm – WISE (Waste Investigations, Support and Enforcement) – however, that contract did not extend beyond the first 12 months.
Related: Concerns raised over tactics deployed by private litter enforcement firm WISE
