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Two South Tyneside residents have been ordered to pay almost £600 after ignoring orders to clear up waste or to answer questions about flytipping.

 

South Tyneside magistrates fined Stacey Brown, of Chesterton Road, South Shields, £220 in her absence after she failed to comply with a notice requiring her to remove rubbish from her front garden. She was also ordered to pay £100 costs and an £88 victim surcharge.

 

Enforcement officers were informed about waste including a sofa piling up in the garden in June last year, and despite multiple inspections and warnings to clear it up, she failed to do so.

 

She further ignored a Statutory Notice served under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 requiring her to remove the waste.

 

In another case, rubbish found fly tipped on Cleadon Hills led to a £60 fine for Robin Smith, of Ernest Street, Boldon Colliery.

 

The court heard how bags of waste including wood and a bathroom sink were found dumped illegally at the nature reserve in August.

 

Robin Smith came to attention of Â鶹ÊÓƵ investigators after a car believed to be owned by him, was captured on CCTV in the early hours of the morning entering and leaving the site of the illegal fly-tip. Robin Smith has been previously convicted of fly-tipping and is currently subject to a Criminal Behaviour Order.

 

The Council took him to court after he failed to make himself available to answer questions regarding the abandonment of the rubbish - an offence under section 110 of the Environment Act 1995.

 

Cllr Jim Foreman, Lead Member for Housing and Community Safety, said: "We will always take action against people who fail to clean up after themselves, or dump waste and we hope these fines act as a deterrent to anyone thinking of acting in such a selfish manner.

 

"Leaving rubbish to accumulate is inconsiderate to neighbours who want to take pride in where they live, and it is also hazardous because it can attract vermin.

 

"All the waste has since been removed by Â鶹ÊÓƵ's abandoned waste team at the taxpayers' expense

 

"Members of the public can help by being our eyes and ears and reporting any incidents to the council so we can investigate."

 

The Council spends more than £2m a year keeping the Borough clean and tidy and the illegal disposal of waste places an additional burden on taxpayers.

 

To report fly-tipping contact Â鶹ÊÓƵ's Customer Contact Centre on (0191) 427 7000. All calls will be treated in the strictest confidence. Alternatively Report It online via the Council's website at

 

Further information about the safe and responsible disposal of waste can also be found at