Fines issued to Sunderland and South Tyneside residents after series of flytipping offences

Residents from South Shields and Sunderland have been fined in relation to a series of flytipping offences in South Tyneside.

Catherine Louise Healer, aged 51, of Athol Road, Sunderland, was fined £180 in connection with several incidents of waste being illegally abandoned across the South Shields area last June.

South Tyneside Magistrates Court heard that within hours and days of each other, waste had been witnessed, and reported, being flytipped behind Whitehead Street, Taylor Street, Marshall Wallis Road and Chichester Road.

The waste in Whitehead Street included a Sunderland City Council green waste bin as well as a single bed, bricks and lino.

Boxes, bags, car tyres, wood and household waste were abandoned in the other locations. Three settees which had been left in Chichester Road were found burnt out days later.

The council said in each of the incidents, witnesses had reported seeing the same vehicle, which officers traced back to Healer.

She was served with a notice asking her to attend an interview with the council to answer questions about the flytipped waste.

A spokesperson for the council said: “We spend around £2.2million each year to keep the Borough clean and tidy.

"Flytipping simply places an additional financial burden on taxpayers who ultimately bear the cost of removing the waste and investigating these offences.

“In one of these cases, a private landlord even arranged for a private company to clear up the mess that had been left behind his property in Laygate, leaving him considerably out of pocket.

“We hope these cases send out a clear message that we will, and we do, take action against those who fail to comply with the notices that are served upon them.”

Healer was convicted in her absence. As well as the £180 fine, she was ordered to pay £150 costs and a £34 victim surcharge.

Scott Yorston, aged 20, of Orchid Close, South Shields, was also prosecuted in connection with waste flytipped at Monkton Woodlands car park in Mill Lane, Hebburn, in March last year.

Magistrates heard the contents of the two large sacks of waste led investigating officers to Yorston’s address, where more of the same type of bags were spotted in the rear garden.

The court was told Yorston had paid an unknown male, via Facebook, to take four bags of waste away, but didn’t check if they were a registered waste carrier and no waste transfer note or receipt was obtained.

Having failed in his duty of care under the Household Waste Regulations 2005, Yorston was issued with a £200 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN). The council took action when a reminder to pay the FPN was ignored.

Yorston admitted the offence in court. He was fined £200 and ordered to pay costs of £150 and a victim surcharge of £34.

To report fly-tipping contact South Tyneside Council’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

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