Mail backs litter campaign

Launching the campaign against littering are, from left, Arnold Hatch, Regional Editor Alistair Bushe and Trevor Clydesdale.

The council has for some time had a zero tolerance approach to littering – if you litter you are committing a criminal offence and you will be punished.

To date this message has been carried in the local press, but now the Mail is getting behind the council with regular feature articles appearing.

“I’m delighted that Johnston Press is working with us on this,” said chair of environmental services Alderman Arnold Hatch.

“Last year we issued 720 fixed penalty fines for littering and dog fouling. That number is going to increase as in the five months from April we’ve already issued nearly 300 fixed penalty fines. So if you don’t want to face a bill of either £80 or £50 don’t litter and pick up after your dog”.

Alistair Bushe, regional editor of Portadown Times and Lurgan Mail said, “The Portadown Times and Lurgan Mail are delighted to join forces with Craigavon Borough Council in the fight against litter.

“Littering is a blight upon our borough and we are right behind the zero tolerance approach that is being taken by the council.”

It also costs £1.4 million of ratepayers money every year cleaning our borough. The council is urging those ‘litter bugs’ who throw down their litter to think twice.

Environmental wardens now patrol regularly from early morning until late at night. Between April and August 2013, 282 fixed penalty notices were issued to offenders along with 10 court prosecutions. There are currently 21 cases pending with its solicitors.

“There is absolutely no excuse for littering in the Craigavon borough as we have one of the biggest networks of litter bins and dog bins across Northern Ireland,” added Trevor Clydesdale, neighbourhood environmental manager at the council.