After Article 14 of the Litter (Northern Ireland) Order 1994 (NI 10) insert—

“Fixed penalty notices relating to Articles 12C and 1414A

(1)

This Article applies where on any occasion it appears to an authorised officer of a district council that a person has committed an offence under Article 12C(2) or 14(8) in relation to a notice served by that council.

(2)

The authorised officer may give that person a notice offering him the opportunity of discharging any liability to conviction for the offence by payment of a fixed penalty to the district council.

(3)

Paragraphs (2) to (5) of Article 6 (fixed penalty notices), apply in relation to notices given under this Article as they apply in relation to notices given under that Article.

(4)

The amount of a fixed penalty payable to a district council under this Article is—

(a)

the amount specified by the council in relation to its district; or

(b)

if no amount is so specified, £100.

(5)

The district council to which a fixed penalty is payable under this Article may make provision for treating it as having been paid if a lesser amount is paid before the end of a period specified by the council.

(6)

In any proceedings a certificate which—

(a)

purports to be signed by or on behalf of the clerk of the council, and

(b)

states that payment of a fixed penalty was or was not received by the date specified in the certificate,

is evidence of the facts stated.

(7)

In this Article—

“authorised officer”, in relation to a district council, means an officer of the council who is authorised in writing by the council for the purposes of giving notices under this Article;

“clerk of the council”, in relation to a district council, means the clerk appointed in accordance with section 41 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972.”.