Tough stance on the litter louts welcomed

Alitter lout who dumped his rubbish outside a primary school in our community may well have thought now was a good time to catch the authorities out.

With the majority of eyes on pulling everyone out of this pandemic safely, perhaps they hoped our overstretched council would drop the ball.

Tough luck. As we reveal today, the council’s Neighbourhoods Enforcement team is very much on the ball.

An eyewitness to the offence notified the council and, thanks to the information passed on, were able to track down the litter bug and issue a £400 Fixed Penalty Notice.

The cleanliness of the community environment is an issue close to the hearts of Wearsiders and was the catalyst for our

Clean Streets campaign, which is supported by the council who, as a Coun Len Lauchlan tells us today, welcome the support from the public.

Coun Lauchlan, chair of the Washington Area Committee, said: “After Let’s Talk consultations, we decided it was a priority to listen to our community by tackling illegal waste disposal and environmental crime in our city.

"Sunderland City Council has invested in additional resources to ensure that our city remains a clean and safe place to live.

“We do not tolerate flytipping, littering, or illegal waste disposal of any kind.”

Being cooped up during this pandemic has made people appreciate their surroundings even more, which is why they will also appreciate the tough actions taken against those who would spoil it.