Dashcam footage could help catch drivers who litter Horsham district’s roads

Drivers who drop rubbish on the roads in and around Horsham could soon find themselves out of pocket.
Litter on the side of a Steyning roadLitter on the side of a Steyning road
Litter on the side of a Steyning road

The district council has asked members of the public to share dashcam footage of anyone littering on the highways so that fixed penalty notices can be issued.

Philip Circus, cabinet member for waste, recycling and cleansing, described the problem as a ‘blight’ and told a meeting of the council that he had received a number of complaints about incidents on the A24.

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Mr Circus (Con, Chanctonbury) said: “What I’m astonished to find out is that it would appear that something like half of the waste on the highway – or the verges of the highway – has actually come from commercial vehicles where tarpaulins over the top have not been properly secured. Fifty per cent.”

He added that it was time to launch ‘some real enforcement’, saying the public ‘have got a part to play in this’.

Rubbish can be an expensive business for the council, with the cost of removing litter from roads, paths and open spaces coming in at almost £400,000 each year.

Mr Circus said: “We want the public to tell us and give us the evidence to help us issue fixed penalty notices. Because we are determined, as Horsham District Council, to tackle this problem which is a real blight on our community.

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“We will be more effective at doing that if we have the help and support of our residents.”

He added: “I see this very much as a joint crusade by the residents and by the council.

“So I’m asking residents if they have the evidence please come to us and, if we can use that evidence to take enforcement action, we will.”