It has been revealed that Leeds City Council has dished out a fifth fewer fines for littering in 2020, compared to the year previous.
The figures - which have been revealed as part of InYourArea.co.uk’s 'Don't Trash Our Future' campaign launched last summer that aims to address the epidemic of littering in the UK - show that the council has issued a total of 2,331 fines last year.
This is compared to 2,958 fines handed out the year before.
A survey conducted of more than 7,500 people then also found that 85% saw litter as a big or major issue in their area, and almost two-thirds (64%) thought that the levels got worse as lockdown restriction eased.
Littering is a criminal offence, which carries a maximum fine of £2,500 and can be tried in a magistrates' court, but councils often instead issue £100 fines with discounts for paying quickly, instead of taking people to court.
Failure to pay can lead to prosecution.
John Read - Founder of Clean Up Britain - said that "serious fines and serious enforcement" are needed to tackle littering across the country - but Leeds social entrepreneur Rob Greenland thinks a long-term cultural shift is needed instead to ensure people take pride in the city's green spaces.
Mr Read said that £100 fines are "pathetic" and added that: "Councils need to understand that only behavioural change will resolve Britain's litter epidemic.
"A £100 fine, reduced to £50 if paid in 14 days, is not going to change anyone's behaviour.
"If local areas are to stop being litter-ridden - which most are - then we need serious fines and serious enforcement in this country.
But Mr Greenland argued that enforcement of littering laws should be a last resort, and said he'd be worried to see more fines handed out, stating: "I would have a bit of a concern that teenagers in skate parks are getting fined rather than a group of middle-class mums and dads having a picnic".
He continued: "The only way you can tackle this is if you get people who have pride in a place, then those who might see a lot of people who care about a place and think ‘I shouldn’t drop litter’.
"A lot of parks have got ‘friends of’ groups that are really active [and] there’s Litter Free Leeds who are picking litter all the time.
"But that’s a longer term cultural shift."
A Leeds City Council spokesperson said service disruptions caused by lockdowns, as well as lower footfall in usually-busy areas, should be taken into account when comparing yearly figures, and added that while the council aims to provide "more normal levels of litter clearance and prevention", COVID restrictions mean that services may still be limited.
The spokesperson said: "Local community litter picking is also a growing resource in the city with Litter Free Leeds ‘Womble’ groups doing more and more to tackle litter in local neighbourhoods,
"We continue to take a zero tolerance policy to littering in Leeds [and] the issuing of fines is one of the many tools that we use to tackle littering in the city.
"We believe the best way to tackle the issue of littering is to engage positively and constructively with people of all ages to ensure people understand their responsibilities in relation to litter and waste and that sustainable behaviour change remains a priority [but] unfortunately, there are some people who will ignore these type of messages and continue to litter.
"Therefore we are committed to using our full range of legal enforcement powers to tackle such waste and litter crimes."
David Renard - Environment Spokesperson for the Local Government Association - added that councils "work hard" to keep public spaces clean, but the pandemic has "undoubtedly" impacted the number of fines handed out.
"Responsibility for clearing up litter lies with the person dropping it or leaving it behind," he said.
"The COVID-19 lockdown restrictions over the past year will have undoubtedly impacted the number of these handed out [and] each council has to decide the best way to tackle litter in their individual communities.
"But whilst we recognise that responses have to be proportionate, measures must be robust enough to tackle abuse of the local environment".
Featured Image - Flickr
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Ilkley crowned the best place to live in the north by The Sunday Times
The beautiful spa town of Ilkley has been crowned the best place to live in the north of England by The Sunday Times.
The results are in, and our very own Ilkley has taken the top spot for the north and north-east category.
The list posted but the Sunday Times every year, features 72 locations across the UK that they deem are the best spots to settle down in.
Judges visited each location to take in the atmosphere, explore the history and chat to the locals to find out what made each place so special.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
It's not the first time the wonderful spa town of Ilkley has been praised, having been the national winner back in 2022 it's no stranger to taking home the trophy.
The judging panel said about Ilkley: “It’s not just the fresh air, fantastic scenery, excellent schools and direct trains to Leeds that make Ilkley this year’s pick of the north and northeast. It’s the get-up and go of a community that tackles every challenge with gusto.”
"It's hard to imagine anywhere with more opportunities for youngsters."
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Also getting a mention in the regional category was Horsforth, which was recommended for its transport links, brilliant local schools and thriving social scene.
The guide said: "The city is Yorkshire's economic powerhouse - but for something a bit greener, a bit more family friendly, it's hard to better Horsforth's streets of sandstone houses."
Elsewhere up north, Sheffield got a special shoutout where the judges said: "Burgeoning creative industries and judicious regeneration are igniting interest in previously overlooked postcodes ... Hipsters and happy families alike are celebrating, welcoming, embracing, loving this city-wide vibe."
So if you fancy escaping the hustle and bustle of the city centre, then why not hop on a train and visit the best place to live up north and see for yourselves what the fuss is all about.
Adolescence tops Netflix charts with more than 24 million views in four days
Emily Sergeant
New British series Adolescence has shot right to the top of Netflix’s most-watched TV charts after more than 24 million people tune in.
Hitting the streaming platform just last Thursday, Adolescence is a four-part limited series about a 13-year-old boy who is accused of murdering one of his classmates, with each episode remarkably being filmed in one unflinching and continuous shot.
This truly gripping story unfolds in real time as the main characters search for answers in the wake of a shocking tragedy.
Who is actually responsible? Why did it happen? And could it have been prevented?
Image: Netflix
Co-created and written by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, with Graham starring alongside an ensemble cast of accomplished actors such as Ashley Walters and Erin Doherty, as well as screen newcomer Owen Cooper as the young boy Eddie Miller, accused of murder, the show tells the story of how a family’s world is turned upside.
“We could have made a drama about gangs and knife crime, or about a kid whose mother is an alcoholic or whose father is a violent abuser,” Stephen Graham said ahead of the show‘s release.
Image: Netflix
“Instead, we wanted you to look at this family and think, ‘My God, this could be happening to us.’ And what’s happening here is an ordinary family’s worst nightmare.”
Over the course of the four intense one-shot episodes, the show shines a uncomfortable spotlight on and examines key themes such as male rage, the dangers of social media, cyberbullying, incel culture, and more.
The latest viewing figures show that Adolescence undoubtedly has been a runaway hit, with a whopping 24.3 million views amassed in its first four days of availability, making it the streaming platform’s top show for the week of 10-16 March.
Image: Netflix
As the show continues to garner universal acclaim, standing at 98% on notable critic website Rotten Tomatoes, those viewing figures are set to clock up thick and fast as the days go on.
While Adolescence and Jamie’s story isn’t based on a real person or event specifically, Graham, Thorne, and director Philip Barantini have confirmed that the idea for the series did spring from reports that co-creator Graham had heard about on the news of young boys being involved in knife crimes – particularly the shocking 2021 murder of Ava White in Liverpool.
Much of Adolescence was filmed in Pontefract in West Yorkshire, with the casting of Cooper in the role of Jamie ultimately influencing where the show was shot.
“We knew it was going to be set somewhere in the North of England, and we also knew it would be from somewhere around wherever our Jamie was from – in this case near Warrington – because it would have been unfair to make him do an accent,” explained director Philip Barantini.
All four episodes of Adolescence are now available to stream on Netflix.
The Hoot -
6th April 2021 
