South Tyneside residents fined after refusing to clear up abandoned waste including sofas and bags of rubbish

South Tyneside Council has fined four residents after waste was found abandoned illegally across the borough.
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Lisa Higginson, of West Park Road, was fined £660 in her absence by South Tyneside Magistrates last week after rubbish including bags, boxes and an old linen bin were found abandoned illegally in a back lane last December.

Investigating officers found identification among the waste which led officers to Higginson’s property.

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The Council took legal action after she failed to answer questions regarding the waste – an offence under section 110 of the Environment Act 1995.

Waste was found illegally abandoned in South Tyneside.Waste was found illegally abandoned in South Tyneside.
Waste was found illegally abandoned in South Tyneside.

She was also ordered to pay £100 in costs and a £66 victim surcharge.

In another incident, four sofas were found in the front garden of a property belonging to Jeffrey Neil Walker at Marlborough Street, South Shields, in February this year.

He was advised by officers that the furniture needed to be disposed of as it could attract mice, but he failed to remove the sofas.

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Walker pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a notice served under The Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 and was fined £100 and ordered to pay costs of £220 as well as a victim surcharge of £44.

Quantity of rubbish dumped behind West Park Road, South Shields.Quantity of rubbish dumped behind West Park Road, South Shields.
Quantity of rubbish dumped behind West Park Road, South Shields.

Danielle Batey from Boldon Colliery was also fined £440 after officers received a complaint of sofas that had been in the front garden of a property in Byron Avenue for over a year.

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Despite being served a notice to move the sofas and warned that they could attract vermin, they remained in the garden.

Batey was prosecuted for failing to remove the sofas and was ordered to pay costs of £265 and a victim surcharge of £44.

Sofas in the garden of a property in Marlborough Street, South Shields.Sofas in the garden of a property in Marlborough Street, South Shields.
Sofas in the garden of a property in Marlborough Street, South Shields.
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The landlord of Batey’s property, Afsan Mehdi, of Hedworth Lane, Boldon Colliery, was also convicted of the same offence and was fined £440 in his absence and ordered to pay £265 costs along with a £44 victim surcharge.

A spokesperson for South Tyneside Council said: “We are absolutely committed to keeping our borough clean and tidy, and that means pursuing people who dump or fail to clear up waste.

“Rubbish left lying around is not only unsightly and unpleasant, it can also be hazardous because it can attract vermin.

“We will always take action against people who fail to clean up after themselves, and we hope these fines act as a deterrent to anyone who spoils our borough in this way.

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