'Litter police' get bonuses to target public, Panorama finds........
A private company acting as the "litter police" for dozens of councils pays officers a bonus for issuing fines, an undercover Panorama report has found.
One officer from
Kingdom Services, a leading enforcement company, claimed that his bonus one month was £987.
Other officers were filmed handing out £75 fines for tiny pieces of dropped orange peel and poured-away coffee.
Kingdom told Panorama that its competency allowance was not a paid incentive for officers to issue fines.
Littering is a crime, but if you pay the fine you can avoid a criminal record.
Councils are increasingly using private companies such as Kingdom, based in Cheshire, to enforce the Environmental Protection Act.
Kingdom currently has about 28 contracts with local authorities and last year saw its profits jump 30% to £9m.
The company frequently splits the proceeds of the fines with the councils.
Panorama uncovered several cases where people were fined incorrectly.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39882434