Dumped supermarket trolley fines to be extended

Sunderland City Council introduced fines in 2021 following concerns from residents

Fines for dumping supermarket shopping trolleys are to be extended to more parts of a city.

Sunderland City Council says £100 fixed penalty notices will be issued from the end of August to people removing trolleys from Morrisons Seaburn and Asda Grangetown as well as Lidl and the Tesco and Sunderland Retail Park, both at Roker.

It said the "clampdown" was necessary as abandoned trolleys were a "nuisance" and a "danger".

Twenty-three fixed penalty notices have been issued, with three people prosecuted after the council introduced measures in part of Washington in 2021 using a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO).

The council said it now had the go-ahead to extend the powers city-wide following its PSPO renewal for 2024.

Councillor Lindsey Leonard, cabinet member for environment, transport and net zero, said: "We know what a nuisance abandoned shopping trolleys can be for our communities.

"They often end up being abandoned at the side of the road where they can be a real danger to motorists and pedestrians.

"We've also seen trolleys dumped in children's play areas where they could lead to children being injured, and in green spaces where they can be a danger to wildlife."

A spokesperson for Morrisons said the firm was pleased to be working with the council to tackle the issue, adding: "We believe the initiative will have a positive impact and are looking at how we can roll this out further to support more local communities."