Motorists who throw rubbish from their cars could face prosecution as part of a campaign to make littering as “socially unacceptable as drink driving”.
Government ministers want to clamp down on drivers who throw rubbish from their vehicles in a bid to lower the multi-million pound cost of picking up roadside waste.
It is also part of moves to make it simpler for councils to impose fines on people who litter on the roads.
The Sunday Telegraph says it has seen Government documents which state: “We support the view that littering should be as socially unacceptable as drink driving.”
The newspaper says that other measures under consideration include organising a “clean up Britain day” funded by the Government.
They also include fresh guidelines outlining powers local councils have to control littering as well as requirements for cigarette companies to provide funds for picking up discarded butts.
The Sunday Telegraph quotes the communities secretary Eric Pickles as saying: “There is a lot more we can do to clean up our streets by working with community groups and young people to encourage social responsibility and restoring a sense of local pride.
“Councils should also be working with the tobacco industry to stop cigarette litter. If the industry wants to help, they shouldn’t be turning away their support.”
Outside London, enforcement officers are only permitted to fine motorists if they can prove exactly who threw litter from a vehicle, the newspaper reports.
But it says powers passed earlier this year mean that if rubbish is seen being thrown from a car, van or lorry, the registered keeper can be fined.
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