A Wisbech man who was spotted throwing a cigarette butt on the ground in the town’s market place has been hit with a £100 fine and ordered to pay £140 in related costs.

Mickev Reginantas, aged 32, of Kingfishers Drive, Wisbech, was taken to court by Fenland District Council after failing to pay a fixed penalty notice he had been given for littering.

He had been issued the ticket by one of the council’s Streetscene officers after he was seen dropping the cigarette outside Cat Haven - despite the fact that there was a litterbin only about 10 yards away

His failure to pay the fixed penalty, despite several reminders, resulted in the court action.

King’s Lynn magistrates imposed the £100 fine in his absence and also ordered him to pay £75 compensation, £45 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

A council spokesman said: “The action was taken as part of the council’s continuing Keep Fenland Tidy campaign”.