Cornwall Litterers Prosecuted After Refusing to Pay Fines

Two individuals in Cornwall who refused to pay Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) for littering have been prosecuted and ordered to pay significantly higher penalties by Truro Magistrates’ Court.

Both offenders were due to appear at court on 17 September 2025 but failed to attend, and were found guilty in their absence.

Five Bags of Rubbish Dumped in St Austell

Darren Truscott, of Trelavour Road, St Dennis, was prosecuted after leaving five black bags of household rubbish in Goonvean, St Austell, in February this year.

Truscott was initially issued with an FPN but failed to pay, resulting in the case being escalated to court. He was fined £250 and ordered to pay a £100 victim surcharge, along with Cornwall Council’s court costs of £1,336.

Parking Charge Notice Thrown at Enforcement Officer

In a separate case, Stephen Smith, of Dabryn Way, St Stephens, was found guilty of littering in Fore Street, Bodmin, in January 2025.

Smith was caught throwing a Parking Charge Notice out of a car window towards a civil enforcement officer. Like Truscott, he was issued with an FPN but refused to pay.

Magistrates imposed a fine of £660, a £264 victim surcharge, and ordered Smith to pay Cornwall Council’s costs of £1,425.

“No Excuse for Littering”

Councillor Thalia Marrington, Cornwall Council’s Cabinet member for Community Safety and Public Protection, said:

“In both of these cases the individuals were offered the chance to settle the matter by paying a Fixed Penalty Notice. They refused to do this and will therefore have to pay considerably more.

“There is never any excuse for littering and when we can trace those responsible, we will take action.

“As well as public CCTV cameras, more and more people now have doorbell and home security cameras that capture this type of offence. I urge anyone with such footage to report it to us so we can investigate.”

Reporting Littering

Cornwall Council is encouraging residents to share any evidence of littering with the Community Protection and Enforcement Team to help tackle environmental offences across the county.

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