Drivers could face £150 fine for dropping rubbish from vehicles after Rutland County Council adopts a new littering policy

Drivers who drop rubbish from their vehicles could soon be fined £150.

Rutland County Council has adopted a new littering policy to protect the environment and reduce its £600,000 annual street cleaning bill.

The council will run an awareness campaign before the policy is introduced, but it means registered owners could be fined if litter is found to have been dropped from their vehicle.

County councillor Lucy Stephenson (Con) said: “Litter is a blight on our environment. It’s unsightly, expensive to clean up and, if not properly managed, can cause issues for wildlife.

“Rutland is a beautiful county and we do not want needless littering spoiling it for residents and visitors.”

The council collects around 180 tonnes of rubbish from the streets each year.