A man who dropped a singe cigarette butt in Watford town centre has been ordered to pay nearly £400 in fines and costs by magistrates.

Kenneth Rogers, formerly of Strangeways, Watford, was handed a £75 fixed penalty notice on March 2 this year when a Watford Borough Council officer saw him drop the butt in The Parade.

Mr Rogers accepted the fine, issued under the Environental Protection Act 1990, but failed to pay it within the allotted time. After numerous reminders he was summonsed to appear at Watford Magistrates’ Court on Monday, a hearing he did not attend.

Found guilty in his absence, the 59-year-old was fined £175 and ordered to pay a further £215 in costs and charges.

Councillor Derek Scudder, responsible for environmental issues, said: “This case shows that the council will not tolerate littering in any form. Some people may think that there is no consequence from littering on this scale, but our staff can clean a road and hours latter it looks no different due to the sheer thoughtlessness of just a few people.”

The Watford Observer attempted to contact Mr Rogers but was informed by his family that he had moved abroad earlier in the year.