Ipswich woman fined nearly £460 after throwing cigarette butt on the ground in Carr Street

An Ipswich woman has been fined £458 after being spotted throwing a single cigarette butt on the ground.

Izabella Stejaru, of Pownall Road, was stopped by waste enforcement officers in June after being caught discarding a cigarette butt in Carr Street.

Officers said she gave them a false identity, although she was eventually identified and ordered to pay £80 for littering after a hearing at Suffolk Magistrates’ Court.

Stejaru failed to pay the fine, despite numerous letters, and was back in court last month, when magistrates ordered her to pay £458.

Cllr John Cook, Ipswich Borough Council portfolio holder for communities and sport, said there was no excuse for littering and anyone caught would be fined or prosecuted.

He added: “This is a sizable fine which clearly sends the message that dropping cigarette butts – whether on to the ground or down drains – is considered littering, punishable as a criminal offence.

“It also drums home the fact that it’s an offence for anyone caught by our enforcement officers to give false details.”