Four women fined for dropping cigarette ends in Sunderland city centre

Four women are to pay a hefty price for dropping cigarette ends in the city centre.
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Sunderland City Council prosecuted the four in their absence at Sunderland Magistrates’ Court.

The women, who threw away cigarette butts in the city centre despite an April spring clean being underway at the time, were found guilty of littering.

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Jessica Evans, 19, of Arthur Avenue, Ryhope, Sharon O’Brien, 53, of Gilbert Road, Emma Richardson, 33, of Rannoch Road and Amanda Tagget, 33, of Sunrise House, Houghton, were all seen littering in the Park Road area in April this year.

Picture c/o PixabayPicture c/o Pixabay
Picture c/o Pixabay

Tony Southwick, prosecuting, said a council environmental officer saw the women drop the cigarette ends at different times on April 4 and 5.

He said she approached them and asked for their details.

Mr Southwick said Evans was seen smoking her cigarette at 10.15am on April 5 walking along Park Lane.

He said: “She dropped the cigarette end. She made no effort to retrieve it.”

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Mr Southwick said at 10am that day, the officer had seen O’Brien walking towards the bus station smoking and dropped the end outside of McColl’s shop and carried on into the bus station.

He said when approached, she said: “I apologise. I was in a hurry to go to the toilet which is in the Park Lane bus station.”

On April 4 at 3.34pm, Mr Southwick said the officer saw Richardson walking towards The Bridges Shopping Centre smoking and she dropped the cigarette as she waited to cross the road.

And, on April 4 at 2.37pm, Tagget was seen dropping her cigarette near to the entrance of the Park Lane market.

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Mr Southwick said all four of the defendants were sent fixed penalty notices of £150 to their homes. They were then sent a reminder, a second reminder and then a letter to say legal proceedings would be taken, but did not respond.

All of them were fined £110 and ordered to pay a £30 surcharge and £270.50 costs.