Four fined for ignoring warnings over waste

Failing to remove waste from their back yards has left four people in County Durham with a combined bill of almost £4,000.

Large amounts of general and household waste were left to accumulate at three propertieslocatedinHorden,Shildon and Langley Park last year – while at a house in Murton, large quantities of dog faeces were left for weeks.

Durham County Council’s neighbourhood wardens visited each of the properties aftereitherreceivingcomplaints from members of the public or spottingthewastewhilepatrolling the area.

In each case, community protection warnings were issuedtogivethepropertyowner orresidentinvolvedsevendays to clear the waste.

When these went unheeded, the council issued community protection notices, which allowedafurther14daystotidy up the mess, but to no avail.

Fixed penalty notices of £100 each were then issued, but went unpaid, prompting the council to prosecute those responsible for breaching a communityprotectionnotice.

None of the defendants attendedNewtonAycliffeMagistrates Court for their hearings and the cases were heard in their absence.

Each received a £440 fine, plus costs, with the amount owed totalling £3,818.

Oliver Sherratt, head of environment at Durham County Council,said:“Allowinghouseholdwasteanddogfaecestoaccumulate is not just unsightly, it is a health hazard and council taxpayers should not have to foot the bill to having it removed.”

Toreportrubbishingarden and yards, visit www.durham. gov.uk/asb

For information about rubbish and recycling, go to www. durham.gov.uk/recycling