Clean up your act

More than 800 people have been issued with £75 fixed penalty notices for dropping litter in Hull over the past two years.
And more than 200 prosecutions have been brought in that time for other 'enviro-crimes' ranging from fly-tipping, graffiti, dog fouling, abandoned vehicles and illegal burning of waste.
"We have a zero-tolerance policy – it's as simple as that!" says Mark Cornall, environmental enforcement manager at Hull City Council.
"By cracking down on enviro-criminals we can reduce the risk posed to human health as well as pollution of the environment and harm to the visual appearance of neighbourhoods – and we can also reduce the feeling of neglect and lack of respect within neighbourhoods."
The 200 prosecutions include:

• A resident of Beverley Road, ordered to pay a total of £1,519 by Hull Magistrates' Court in fines and costs for failing to remove bin bags containing food stuff and other waste that were emitting a strong odour at the back of his property.
• The owner of a property in Alliance Avenue, west Hull, ordered to pay £415 in fines and costs after accumulating litter and refuse at his property which was "causing a detrimental effect on the neighbourhood."
• A business on Cleveland Street fined £3,000 and ordered to pay costs of £650 for failing to dispose of commercial waste lawfully.

Meanwhile, more than 5,000 litter bins across the city are to carry small posters reminding people of their responsibilities not to drop litter and of the consequences should this happen.
Enforcement officers say they will not hesitate to issue a fixed penalty notice of £75, which if unpaid can lead to a conviction at Hull Magistrates' Court and a fine of up to £2,500.
To report environmental crimes taking place in your neighbourhood call 300300.