Littering fines have brought in almost £100,000 for councils across Cambridgeshire since the start of 2023, according to figures obtained by the BBC through Freedom of Information requests. The data shows a stark disparity in enforcement between local authorities, with Cambridge City Council responsible for the vast majority of penalties issued, prompting calls for other councils in the county to follow its example.

Across Cambridgeshire, 889 fixed penalty notices for littering have been issued since 2023, generating around £97,881 in revenue. Cambridge City Council accounted for 776 of these fines and £83,460 of the total (86%), though its numbers have fallen sharply, from 374 in 2023 to just 49 so far this year. By contrast, Peterborough City Council issued only 45 fines over the same period, while South Cambridgeshire, East Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire and Fenland councils issued 33, 22, seven and six respectively. A total of 35 people have been prosecuted for littering since 2023, and Harry Machin, founder of the Peterborough Litter Wombles group, said other councils should learn from Cambridge's approach.