Watch what you put down the drain, £150 fine !

[Northernraider]

I wonder what their powers to detain, demand personal details and issue 'fines' are?
And if the accused had trefused to comply, what then, follow you home to find out who you are?

They have no power .. you can simply walk away from them ..if they lay a hand on you then it's common assault.

Plenty youtube videos showing how to deal with them

 

[Raul]

So when are they going to fine Thames Water, and others for discharging untreated sewage?
What about the rotten blocked drains?
Hypocrites.

 

[Googlebot]

I find it really interesting some of the comments around Civil Enforcement Officers, or whatever you call them.

Generally we all say we want more Police on the streets, or we don’t want litter dropped.

However if we are caught for speeding, or fined for chucking coffee down a drain, most of us get cross about it. I admit the coffee is a crap example, they need to give their heads a wobble.

However, I hate people dropping litter, and the people who fined them for the coffee were on the lookout for the cretins doing this and I want to see a lot more of them, not less.

As has already been pointed out though, us commoners get fined, water companies get free reign to let us bathe in poop.

 

[Vikdikdok]

At least it takes pressure off the BBC - it's more fun to report 3 'officer's nicking someone for dumping half a cup of coffee than it is to report how many small boat people per day land in the UK (with the help of border patrol 'taxi's

 

[Coolcats]

Apparantly they cannot hold you or detain you in anyway. You are not obliged to advise your details. But yes they can follow you.
If you give them details voluntarily they can then issue a fine etc.

If they follow you isn’t that stalking?

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[Carpmart]

Yawn! Slow news day yesterday!

As others have said, they have no powers. I would have talked to them (as I’m polite) but would have declined to provide any personal details.

 

[Dirk Diggler]

The fines been retracted.

 

[GJH]

Just to help clarification of the obvious ignorance of the fact that council enforcement do have powers, it might help if people read This Article.

 

[cyberyacht]

That outlines the powers to prosecute under various bits of legislation. Nothing about powers of arrest or demand for personal information.

 

[Nanniemate]

The council environmental officers can be a tool to reduce litter and flytipping

Unfortunately, there always a jobs worth looking for the easy option

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[GJH]

That outlines the powers to prosecute under various bits of legislation. Nothing about powers of arrest or demand for personal information.

That's why I said in my post "council enforcement do have powers".

 

[GJH]

Unfortunately, there always a jobs worth looking for the easy option

And even more jobsworths trying to get out of the consequences of contravening legislation

 

[LithiumConvert]

Can anyone remember Esther Rantzen’s Jobsworth hat?

That says it all really.

But, in so very many places in the UK the surface water drain and the foul water drain are effectively the same.

In our village, we live in a relatively new street and we have two distinct drains.

But just round the corner, they both join up to the original village foul water drain.

So, it doesn't matter where I pour the cup of coffee - or the cassette contents.