You can be fined, though not jailed. Cases are tried in magistrates courts. There is no precise definition of litter. The most common items are cigarette ends, sweet wrappers and matchsticks. In a Tidy Britain Group survey, dog mess, drinks cans and fast food packaging were named as the litter that people most disliked seeing The littering offence applies to public open land e.g. roads, pavements, motorways, parks, beaches.
Different laws apply to rubbish on private land and in watercourses.
There were about 500 police prosecutions for littering in 1997. Most prosecutions are by the police, through the Crown Prosecution Service, but local authorities can also prosecute. Far more men than women are prosecuted. The average fine is about 100. Court costs can also be added on.