Three fined after fly-tipping probes in South Tyneside

Georgia Pagan, 19 and Peter Maxwell, 29, of Wellands Close, Whitburn, were both fined £120, ordered to pay costs of £75 and a victim surcharge of £30 after magistrates heard officers found a substantial quantity of waste in a country lane in West Boldon.

Paperwork in the waste led officers to the defendants who were invited to attend for interview. They ignored the invitation and a subsequent notice, an offence under the Environment Act.

Magistrates also fined Georgia Skelton, 19, of Biddick Hall Drive, £120 for failing to provide information about a fly tipping incident.

The court was told that council officers discovered a quantity of waste at the back of Green Lane Fisheries, South Shields, which contained paperwork in the defendant’s name.

Skelton also failed to attend an interview to discuss the abandoned waste.

In addition to the fine, she was ordered to pay costs of £100 and a victim surcharge of £30.

Magistrates were told that a resident spotted a substantial fly tip at the side of Downhill Lane in West Boldon.

The court was told that an address was identified from the waste andthe material had been removed by 31-year-old Jarrow man Steven Fisher who runs a waste removal service.

When called for interview, Fisher said he had sold his van with the waste still in it. However, he failed to attend a subsequent interview and ignored a pursuant notice.

Magistrates gave him a conditional discharge and ordered him to pay costs of £75.

A spokesman for South Tyneside Council said: “It is simply unacceptable for a tiny minority of people to blight the beauty of our borough.

“We already spend around £2.2 million a year keeping the area clean and tidy and fly tipping simply places an additional burden on taxpayers.”

Anyone who witnesses incidents of fly-tipping are asked to report it by calling (0191) 427 7000.

For further information about the many ways waste can be safely responsibly disposed of in South Tyneside visit www.southtyneside.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling