Dropping crisp packets could land you whopping £750 fine in new litter crackdown

Litterers across Britain face whopping fines of up to £750 per offence in a new crackdown on Britain’s rubbish crisis.

Dropping a crisp packet could land you with the maximum penalty for littering, which is being hiked by 50 per cent.

Meanwhile, fly-tippers face fines of up to £5,000, five times the current limit.

The new penalties will come into force this summer as part of a zero-tolerance approach on waste crime.

Labour is bidding to clean up Britain’s litter-strewn streets by copying Japan’s playbook, where littering is frowned upon and people widely take their rubbish home.

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said: “Fly-tipping and littering is a disgrace that blights local communities.

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“Under this Government, criminals who break the rules will face heftier fines to clean up the mess they make.

“We are sending a clear message to those who dump their rubbish - we are coming after you and you will pay the price.

The Government’s Waste Crime Action Plan aims to drive rogue waste operators out of business.

Under the plan, councils will be able to issue the higher on-the-spot fines with the amount depending on how serious the offence is.

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Convicted fly-tippers also face losing their waste licences as new court powers are introduced.

Rogue operators setting up illegal waste businesses are also set to face a tough clampdown with advanced background checks coming into play.

Chair of LGA Neighbourhoods Committee Cllr Arooj Shah said: “Increasing the maximum fixed penalty notices available to councils is a positive step and will give local authorities greater flexibility to tackle littering and fly-tipping in their communities.

“However, this should be accompanied by a review of sentencing guidelines.

“Our analysis has shown that the average court fine for fly-tipping remains lower than the average fixed penalty notice, undermining efforts to deter offenders.

“Stronger and more consistent penalties through the courts are needed to send a clear message that waste crime will not be tolerated.”

In March, it was revealed scores of councils across Britain failed to issue a single fine for littering last year.

Campaign group Clean Up Britain found at least 71 councils failed to issue a single fine for littering across the year, while a further 67 issued fewer than 10.

John Read, the group’s founder, said: “In large swathes of the country, there is eco-anarchy. Anyone can litter with complete impunity and no fear of being caught and convicted.”

Littering is a huge problem in the UK and Keep Britain Tidy, another campaigning organisation, found last year that just nine out of 100 places in England visited in its research were free of litter.

“The only sustainable and effective solution to Britain’s litter epidemic is behavioural change”, Mr Read told The Guardian.

“Many people will only change their behaviour if they have genuine fear of being caught and severely punished.

“That’s one of the reasons why Clean Up Britain is lobbying for fines to e increased from £500 to £1,000.

“Littering is a crime that degrades our environment and the whole of society is forced to endure.”

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