THE number of fines slapped on litter louts and fly-tippers in Glasgow has rocketed by more than 85% in the last three years.

 

New figures obtained by the Evening Times show that 19,061 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) - worth £1.5million - were given out by the council and community safety enforces to people caught dumping litter outside.

In 2012 that figure was 10,272.

And the number of dog owners fined for failing to pick up after their pets has jumped by more than 180% since 2012.

A total of 1883 fines - more than £75,000 worth - were issued last year, compared to 680 in 2012.

Community leaders say they are concerned at the state of city streets.

They said constituents had reported bin shortages and collection reductions in tenement back courts and on pavements.

There are also fears that vermin infestations will increase if the streets are left dirty.

The fine for fly-tipping is £200, anyone caught littering has to pay £80 and residents who do not clean up after their dog are hit with a £40 fine, which rises to £60 if unpaid.

Glasgow Kelvin MSP Sandra White said she had noticed the problems were getting worse.

She said: "Unfortunately it is on the increase.

"It's down to a few things: a lot of people don't care about the environment they live in.

"A lot of the time it's down to people not picking up after themselves, leaving bulk items in the wrong place or being careless.

"But there is also confusion over when council pick-up days are and what the rules are for picking up bulk items, because they the council does change them.

"People don't know if they leave things at the back or out the front. So they just put things outside and forget about them."

Ms White said she had reported several incidents herself recently.

She said: "Just last week I phoned in when a bed and a mattress were left outside St Vincent Terrace.

"I've phoned up when bulk items were left lying outside the Mitchell Library.

"What sort of image does this give out of our city?

"The other day I was walking in Hillhead when I came across a fridge.

"It is absolutely awful. Not only is it unsightly it is dangerous and it attracts vermin."

Ms White said the problem was not confined to a particular area across the city, but there were certain hot spots.

She said littering, fly-tipping and dog fouling were noticeable in the Partick and Thornwood areas.

The SNP MSP said: "It is particularly a problem in Partick, in and around Beith Street.

"I think the council needs to be more pro-active about this."

Partick West councillor Kenny Maclean agreed and said he had scheduled a meeting with council officials to discuss the problem.

He said: "We are due to be meeting next week.

"That will be to discuss these issues and see what we can do about them.

"I am concerned there is a failure of service.

"Constituents are coming to me on a daily basis talking about problems with litter, fly tipping and dog mess.

"I am quite concerned. Some of it is obviously about people not doing their civic duty. People have to take responsibility and pick up after themselves, but I do seem to get the impression that Glasgow City Council Land and Environment services is not fully up to scratch at the moment."

Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Clean Glasgow said the Clean Glasgow project had made "outstanding progress since its introduction in 2007 in addressing the issues of litter, dog fouling, fly tipping, graffiti and fly posting throughout the city".

He added: "Our figures show a significant increase in the number of fixed penalty notices issued throughout 2012, 2013 and 2014. This is thanks to the introduction of two key factors - one being the City Centre Response Team, whose members issue a significant number of fixed penalty notices, and the other being an increase in the number of Community Enforcement Officers across all council wards.

"This stands testament to our long-standing commitment to make every neighbourhood in Glasgow a cleaner and safer place."

rachel.loxton@eveningtimes.co.uk