SMOKING has hit the wallet twice as hard for litter bugs in the town centre as £1,375 in fines were handed out yesterday for two dropped cigarettes.

Thom Farrand, 27, the former manager of the Phones4U store, in Canal Walk, was challenged by environmental enforcement officers in July last year after dropping his cigarette butt next to a bin outside the shop.

Farrand refused to give any details until the police were called in case their powers to detain were needed.

Eventually, after the threat of custody, he gave the address of the now defunct town centre store, but refused to pay the fixed penalty notice until it was too late.

Phones4U went into administration in September last year, at which point Farrand lost his job and received meagre compensation.

Phil Wirth, prosecuting on behalf of Swindon Borough Council, told Swindon magistrates: “On 30 July an environmental enforcement officer was on litter patrol in Canal Walk when he observed a person, now known to be the defendant, deposit a cigarette butt just a metre away from a bin outside the Phones4U store.

“The defendant refused to give his name and address and the police were called.

“It was only when he was informed he would be taken to the police station that he gave his name, and said any correspondence could be sent to the Phones4U shop.

“Mr Farrand did eventually contact the council seeking to make payment of £75 but at that stage proceedings had been commenced.

“Swindon has a widespread problem with littering and prosecutions will be sought in these areas where it is the greatest problem.”

David Gosling, defending Farrand, said his client is seeking work in Australia and handed the court a letter which accepted the offence.

“There are certain areas of the town where this is a real problem,” he said.

“Albion Street is digusting, with the bins overflowing and they are rarely emptied. I travel down that road every day and have seen someone from the council down there once.

“Following the collapse of Phones4U Farrand got a rather poor settlement and went abroad on a working visa.”

For littering, Farrand was fined £50, for failing to provide information requested, £100, and a further £100 in court costs to the council.

Natalie Drummond, 29, of Milverton Court, also failed to attend court yesterday after being prosecuted for dropping a cigarette outside Greggs, in Wharf Green, on May 15 last year.

After giving officers a false address and failing to turn up at court, she received fines of £400 for littering, £400 for giving false information, a £40 victim surcharge, and £285 court costs - a total of £1,125.

A spokesman for Swindon Council said: “We are being proactive in tackling litter in the town centre.

“We want to create a clean and welcoming environment for all our shoppers and visitors, particularly as the public realm has benefitted from significant investment in recent years.

“Street cleaning, which includes picking up litter, costs the council £1.6m a year.

“This prosecution shows that dropping cigarette butts or litter will not be tolerated and we hope it acts as a deterrent.”