£350 fine over back lane mess
A woman who left a pile of rubbish in a back lane in Sunderland after moving out of her home has been fined £350.
The rubbish was left at the rear of Darwin Street, Southwick, and discovered by City Council enforcement officers on Tuesday, February 12.
Waste was traced to the property and the owner of the house told the council she had asked the tenant not to dispose of waste in the back lane.
Despite this request, the items were put out, causing a nuisance and appearing unsightly.
The tenant was interout viewed at her new address by an enforcement officer and admitted depositing the waste in the rear lane.
In her interview, she believed the binmen would remove the rubbish two days later when her next collection was due.
The tenant was given a Fixed Penalty Notice of £350, as an alternative to a fly-tipping prosecution.
Councillor Amy Wilson, the city council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said: “Leaving your waste and rubbish like this is unacceptable. We all have a duty to dispose of or present our waste for collection in a timely, appropriate and legal manner.”
If a Fixed Penalty Notice is not paid, residents can be prosecuted at court for the Unlawful Deposit of Waste contrary to S.33 Environmental Protection Act (1990) – otherwise known as fly-tipping.
The Echo is continuing its Clean Streets campaign, which is calling on Wearsiders to be more responsible for their own waste in an effort to build a cleaner, more inviting city.
Anyone who sees items they think have been flytipped can contact Sunderland City Council by reporting it online at sunderland.gov.uk or by calling 0191 520 5550.