By Beds SU
Wednesday, 15 July 2026
We understand that when moving to new cities or countries local legislation might not be clear so we wanted to share details on two important matters we know some students can unintentionally be caught out by.
Littering in public spaces from around buildings including the Point shopping centre in Luton, walking along the street, in parks and recreational areas and motorways to name a few is illegal. If caught you can be served a fixed penalty notice between £65 - £150. These fines are enforced by local authorities for example Luton or Bedford council.
Items that fall into a littering category can include:
• Chewing gum
• Cigarette butts
• Empty food and drink packaging
There are litter bins and cigarette butt bins placed around campus and on the streets so please look for them and dispose of your waste responsibly.
If you are issued with a fine for littering, appeals must be made through the formal council process, the university or Beds SU cannot submit appeals on your behalf but if you wish to seek guidance on how to pay or appeal you can ask for help from Student Support, Beds SU or the Treehouse. You will have a set period in which to pay fine or appeal so act immediately to ensure you do not receive additional penalties.
Smoking around campus and some public buildings
Smoking is prohibited in some public spaces and around some buildings. Smoking in non-smoking zones again if caught can result in a fine so always look for signs for designated smoking areas and be respectful of areas where signs note non-smoking zones.
Around campus this includes clos to buildings and around doorways and for students in Luton you cannot smoke outside the entrances to the shopping centre. The same rules apply for hospital buildings, on public transport and train platforms. The ban includes vapes as well as cigarettes.