'You'll be prosecuted' councillor warns fly-tippers

A woman must pay a £350 fine after a family friend dumped her household waste next to a litter bin.

Lucy Connolly of Park Lane in Oldham pleaded guilty at Tameside Magistrates’ Court on January 29 to a breach of the Environmental Protection Act when enforcement officers traced rubbish on Pottinger Street, Ashton, back to her in May last year. 

Although Tameside Council (TMBC) sent Ms Connolly a £200 Fixed Penalty Notice, this went unpaid leading to her appearance in front of the magistrates. 

She claimed that a friend of the family offered to dispose of the waste, but wasn’t aware that he would dump it. 

Cllr Laura Boyle, TMBC’s environmental services lead, said: “This case is a reminder to householders that they have a duty of care to dispose of their waste responsibly. If you hand your waste over to someone who is not licensed to dispose of waste and who then dumps it illegally, you could be liable to prosecution.  

“Always check if the person you are paying to remove your waste has an appropriate licence and can provide you with waste transfer notes. It is also useful to record the vehicle details, including the registration number, and note a description of the people involved. 

“Flytipping is our blight on our communities and ruins the appearance of our neighbourhoods and we will always take action where we find evidence of those responsible. 

“This is our second waste prosecution already this year and we’ve issued 35 fixed penalty notices. Last year we carried out 16 prosecutions and issued 345 fixed penalty notices for waste-related offences.  

“I would like to thank the teams involved in this diligent work on behalf of our local communities.”