Local people expose litter culprits
15 August 2011
LITTER louts are to be named and shamed thanks to a CCTV project run jointly by Boston Borough Council and The Boston Standard.
Those dropping litter in the borough may now find themselves caught on the council’s 72 CCTV cameras, being pictured in The Boston Standard and facing a fine or being taken to court.
“There will be no hiding place for people who deliberately litter our town or leave behind them the mess their dogs drop,” said Gilly Gilbert, a former Boston policeman and the council’s CCTV supervisor (pictured, front). “As with all operational use of CCTV, those who are doing nothing wrong will have nothing to fear.”
After August 31, CCTV images of of unidentified offenders will be published monthly in The Boston Standard and readers will be asked to help name and shame those that cannot be identified by police or the council. Once identified, they will then be issued with a £75 fixed penalty notice or taken to court. It is hoped the name and shame feature will also act as a deterrent.
The scheme proved effective when it was launched three years ago.
Now, with calls from the public for more action on littering, it’s coming back.
Editor of the Boston Standard Stephen Stray said: “Here at the paper we are committed to help improve the town for all in our community. We hope this campaign will send a clear message to those who think it is acceptable to litter our streets or allow their dogs to foul without clearing up their mess that this will no longer be tolerated.”
Jill Partington spokesperson Keep Britain Tidy said: ‘littering is many people’s guilty secret and people forget that they are breaking the law when they do it. It will be interesting to see if the shame of being caught on camera curtails people’s dirty habits.”
For more information visit The Boston Standard