A MAN who spat his chewing gum on to the pavement outside Bolton College has been landed with a court bill of nearly £900.

Niklas Kotlar was seen spitting out the gum by a Bolton Council litter patrol officer on May 20, Bolton Magistrates Court heard.

The 26-year-old was given an on-the-spot £50 penalty charge — but failed to pay up, meaning he faced a £600 fine and £245 court costs. He was one of four people charged a total of £3,300 by the courts for littering.

Cllr Nick Peel, an executive member at Bolton Council, said: “All of them could have paid the fixed penalty notice of £50 if they had paid it within 10 days. Why they did not pay it I don’t know.

“If you are caught throwing rubbish on the ground, you will be prosecuted.

“We are pleased the court is backing the council in taking a robust view on this sort of behaviour.”

Kotlar, of Melville Street, Great Lever, failed to appear in court and the case was proved in his absence.

Two other people were prosecuted for dropping cigarette butts and another for throwing a receipt on to the ground.

Marwan Alsamdai, aged 19, of Thornbank East, Deane, entered pleaded guilty to dropping a cigarette outside Bolton College on May 20.

He became aggressive with enforcement officers, on a day of action at the college, and swore, before leaving without accepting the fixed penalty notice.

He was fined £400 landed with court costs of £240.

Jackaleen Howcroft, aged 17, dropped a cigarette butt in Bark Street in the town centre on February 6 and was spotted by an enforcement officer.

Howcroft, of Daisy Hill Road, Westhoughton, did not pick it up and refused to pay the £50 fine.

He failed to appear in court and the case was proved in his absence. He was fined £600 and ordered to pay costs of £260.

Andras Karaszi, aged 18, of Lawn Street, Halliwell, dropped a till receipt in Newport Street and was given a fixed penalty notice for littering.

Karaszi also failed to pay the original fine and did not appear in court.

He was fined £600 by magistrates and ordered to pay £334 in court costs.

Cllr John Byrne, the council’s cabinet member for community and neighbourhood services, said: “We take the issue of littering in Bolton very seriously and aim to reduce littering through both good quality education and robust enforcement.

“While a cigarette butt may seem small, clearing up litter costs the council more than £2.8 million a year.”