A man must pay more than £1,000 after he was filmed littering in York.
In November 2025, Dr Robert Jones, aged 63, of Ashville Street, York, was seen dropping cigarette ends in the street.
A neighbour “concerned about this repeated offence” videoed him as he did so.
The littering was reported to City of York Council. Having checked the video evidence, the council officers took action.
Dr Jones was issued with a £500 fixed penalty notice which he declined to pay. Paying this would have discharged liability for the offence and ended the matter.
York Magistrates viewed the video in court. It showed a man with a motorbike smoking and then dropping and leaving the cigarette butt on the street.
The court heard that Dr Jones’ had claimed that the video was AI-generated, that he had not been at the address at that time as he had ridden his motorbike to York Hospital.
However, Dr Jones eventually accepted it was him in the video and pleaded guilty.
He was fined £40 for the offence, ordered to pay a £16 victim surcharge, and the council was awarded full costs of £967, bringing the total to £1,023.
Cllr Michael Pavlovic, executive member for community safety at the council, said: “Keep Britain Tidy says that cigarette litter is the most littered item in the UK. Butts do not biodegrade and leach toxic chemicals.
“Although many people may think that dropping a cigarette on the road is a minor issue, when wet, they leach those chemicals into the ground and the waste water system which costs the environment, and us all to clean up.
“So please, put your cigarette ends in the bin.
“Littering is a criminal offence and carries a maximum fine of £2,500 if prosecuted in court. Fixed penalty notices are offered as an alternative to prosecution.
“They allow offenders to settle the matter quickly and at a lower cost to themselves and the council.”
