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Failure to clean up dog mess has led to two South Tyneside residents being hit with fines and costs totalling thousands of pounds.

David Forsyth and David Elliott were ordered to pay a total of more than £1,400 in fines plus a further £1,400 in costs, compensation and victim surcharges between them.

Forsyth, of Spohr Terrace, South Shields, repeatedly failed to pick up his dog's waste from the street, despite being served with fixed penalty notices after members of the public reported him and he was caught on CCTV.

Â鶹ÊÓƵ was left with no option but to take him to court after the fines went unpaid.

Magistrates ordered him to pay a £660 fine, £300 compensation to the council for clear-ups, costs of £350 and a victim surcharge of £264.

David Elliott, of Northbourne Road, Jarrow, had previously been convicted by South Shields magistrates after he had allowed so much dog waste to build up in his back garden that neighbours complained about the 'unbearable' stench.

He continued to breach the requirements of the Community Protection Notice (CPN) and therefore Â鶹ÊÓƵ prosecuted him again.

The case was heard in his absence and Elliott received a £770 fine as well as being ordered to pay a £308 victim surcharge and £200 costs.

A third resident whose rubbish was found dumped in July last year ended up with a fine of £200 for failing to check that the person she had paid to take it away was an authorised waste carrier.

Sam McGeary, of High Street, Jarrow, admitted that she had paid a man £30 to take away garden and household waste which was later found fly-tipped at Curlew Road, Jarrow. Identification found amongst the rubbish led investigating officers back to McGeary.

The 33-year-old pleaded guilty and was fined as well as being ordered to pay £100 costs and a victim surcharge of £80.

Cllr Jim Foreman, Lead Member for Housing and Community Safety, said: "The court has handed out some large fines here, which demonstrates that they take these kinds of incidents very seriously.

"As a council, we will always investigate environmental crimes, and where we can identify offenders, will take all action available to us.

"We know that people feel strongly about things like fly tipping and dog fouling - which are not only illegal but selfish and anti-social.

"There is no excuse for not disposing of waste responsibly, and if you choose to pay someone to do this for you, it is your duty to check that that person is licensed to do so."

Further information about the safe and responsible disposal of waste can also be found at www.southtyneside.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling

 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 www.southtyneside.gov.uk/reportit