COUNCIL chiefs will fine children as young as 10 up to '50 for dropping litter outside school.
According to anti-litter campaigners, areas near schools have become notorious litter blackspots.
Now council bosses want to give children as young as 10 fixed penalty court notices if they are caught dropping litter.
Initially they plan to target pupils at North Manchester High School for Boys, which is about to launch its own penalty scheme for litterbugs.
Any youngster caught discarding litter by a council worker, a teacher or a police officer could be served with a '50 notice which will be posted to their homes.
And if the scheme is successful the council say they plan to roll it out to other schools around the city.
"Fixed penalty notices have previously only been issued to those aged 14 and over," said the council's executive member for direct services, Coun Paul Murphy.
Scheme
"But in a new tough stand, Manchester city council are prepared to issue them to children from the age of 10 - the age of criminal responsibility.
"We will be monitoring the success of this scheme closely with a view to replicating it in other high schools across the city."
Council bosses say the focus on litter at the High School for Boys reflects the pupils' own concerns about litter around the school.
Head Mel Woodcock said: "Although the school does a lot for the community - pupils have worked hard creating a local community garden, taken part in spring cleans, planted bulbs and recently organised VE Day parties for the elderly - a minority who drop litter in the street are the ones who tend to attract comment."
The tough action by the council has been cautiously welcomed by the Wigan-based Keep Britain Tidy campaign.
Campaign spokesman Peter Gibson said: "I think the threat of fining can be a strong deterrent - whether against children or adults, but we would want to make sure that fining was done properly.
"Fining is a last resort and if people don't want their children to be fined they must set a better example and talk to their kids."
Should children be fined? Have your say.
Tweet
Comments
Login or Register to comment
Why not go lower than 10 my youngest is 5 and he knows litter goes in bins or pockets not floors, children are probably worst at litter dropping than most people teach them young I think one B#50 fine per child will be enough for them to be taught what bins are for.
I totally agree they should be fined! It is dangers to annimals it can even kill them in some cases. It's bad for the enviornment kids should be taught to respect the world around them.
I respected the world around me when I was young, im 20 now and i don't even lik dropping ciggy butts on the floor!
And i agree with below it should be lower kids know more about what they are doing now. Start early and end the problems before they get worse