A smoker has copped an eye-watering penalty after ditching a dart from a car in Melbourne, the Environmental Protection Agency Victoria said on Thursday.

The Craigieburn man tossed the burning cigarette from a Honda sedan on Sydney Rd, Campbellfield on May 19 — an act which didn’t go unnoticed.

A witness who saw the litterbug in action after his “Sydney Rd smoko” reported the incident to the state’s 24-hour pollution hotline, EPA Victoria said.

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The Craigieburn man was issued with a fine, but his case went to the Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court after he failed to cough up the sum.

He avoided a conviction but was ordered to pay $1,120 — a sum which included the fine itself and as well as court costs.

“The magistrate fined the man $730 and ordered him to pay $380 in costs,” EPA Victoria said.

“Cigarette butts are the most common form of litter, they often find their way through drains and waterways to the bay, and lit cigarettes can cause fires if they land among grass or bush.”

The public can report instances of pollution — including air pollution such as dust from construction sites, or smoky vehicles, offensive odours such as those from landfills or animal processors, and water pollution such as chemicals and fish deaths — via the pollution hotline.

You can report online, or you can call EPA Victoria on 1300 372 842.

For more information on the many forms of pollution which can be reported via the pollution hotline, visit the EPA website.