A motorist was ordered to pay a £100 fine after a passenger was spotted throwing rubbish from her car on the A12.

The Colchester resident was driving her Vauxhall Corsa southbound in the fast-lane of the A12 between Marks Tey and Feering, on January 8, when a member of Braintree District Council witnessed the front-seat passenger wind down the window, throw out a piece of litter and then close the window again.

The councillor later reported the incident to Colchester Borough Council who issued the vehicle owner with a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) under Section 87/88 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Littering from a vehicle can land drivers with a £100 fine. If this is not paid within 14-days, the FPN doubles to £200.

The registered keeper of the vehicle is responsible for paying the fine for anyone committing a littering offence from inside the vehicle.

Martin Goss, Portfolio Holder for Waste, Environment & Transportation at Colchester Borough Council, said: "One of our key priorities is to keep our borough clean and an attractive place to live and visit.

"The vast majority of people work with us and dispose of their litter responsibly. However, if people insist on throwing their litter in the streets, or from vehicles, then we will act.

"The message is quite simple and ought to be clear: Please take your litter home with you or dispose of it in a bin. It really isn't worth the risk of being fined for throwing it in the street."