A man has been fined over £700 after failing to identify the driver of a vehicle involved in a littering offence in Dagenham.

On 2 December 2025, at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court, Sadik Ali, of Burgess Street, Tower Hamlets admitted failing to respond to official notices asking him to confirm who was driving a car linked to a littering offence. He was ordered to pay a £150 fine, a £60 victim surcharge, and £500 in costs to Barking and Dagenham Council. 

The case followed a littering incident on 4 November 2024, when an officer on patrol witnessed a white Toyota Prius discard a cigarette end from a vehicle window on Wood Lane, Dagenham. A DVLA check identified the registered keeper as a hire company, which provided the hirer’s details as Mr Sadik Ali.

A Driver’s Identification Notice was issued to Mr Ali, allowing 21 days to confirm who was driving at the time of the offence. When no response was received, a Notice of Intended Prosecution was sent, affording a further seven days to reply. With no reply or contact received, the case was referred to the Magistrates’ Court.

Mr Ali first appeared on 30 September 2025, entering a not guilty plea on the basis that he had not received correspondence. A trial was listed for 2 December 2025, where he maintained he had not received the correspondence but changed his plea to guilty. 

Councillor Syed Ghani, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety said: “Our residents deserve clean streets, and we will not hesitate to act when people litter or when they fail to cooperate with lawful requests for information during investigations.  

“This case sends a clear message: if you don’t engage with us, the matter will go to court, and you can expect to pay for it.”