A 49-year-old man, Lucas Harbourd, has received a criminal conviction for failing to pay a fine for dropping a cigarette butt, an offense he maintains he did not commit as he does not smoke. Harbourd was issued a fine for littering in Bristol city centre in December 2024. He stated that he only became aware of the fine in July when he received a court letter indicating he owed £458.
Harbourd challenged the fine, and the company contracted to issue fines on behalf of Bristol City Council, 3GS, admitted it was a case of mistaken identity. Despite this admission, Harbourd must still work to overturn the conviction, which he believes could negatively impact his career. Representatives for the council and 3GS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
3GS enforcement officers are authorized to issue fines for various environmental offenses, including littering, graffiti, fly-tipping, and public consumption of alcohol in banned areas. The private company has been working under contract with the city council since 2019. It issues approximately 450 fixed penalty notices each month in Bristol. Data obtained through a freedom of information request revealed that between 2023 and 2025, 97% of these fines were issued for littering. The majority of littering fines are for cigarette butts, which can carry a penalty of £175.