A County Durham woman landed herself with a bill of more than £700 after a large amount of household waste was found dumped, and she failed to engage with council officers.
In January this year, officers from Durham County Council were responding to a report of a fly tip on a farm track in Burnhope.
Discovering that household waste had been dumped at the site, the officers investigated the area and found evidence among the items, which pointed to Rebecca Wilson, aged 34 of Park Road, South Moor in Stanley.
After enquiries were made, a hand-delivered letter was issued by the local authority, asking Wilson to make contact.
Officers received no response, so served a formal section 108 notice in February, hand delivered to Wilson’s address, asking her to attend an interview later that month.
She did not attend the interview and, again, she made no attempt to contact officers about the waste.
Wilson pleaded guilty to the offence, and during mitigation, Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court heard that she accepted full responsibility for the fly tip.
It also heard that she had instructed someone to deal with the waste, and had acted in good faith, with no intention of dumping it unlawfully. It was also made clear that she did not receive any letters as she had moved sometime in February.
Wilson was fined £120 and was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £48 and costs of £621, totalling £789.
Ian Hoult, Durham County Council’s neighbourhood protection manager, said: “This case is a prime example of why it’s important to take extra care when asking someone to get rid of your waste. Make sure they are a legitimate business, ask where they are taking it to, and make sure to get a receipt. If it’s your waste, it is your responsibility.
“Much like this case, you may be acting in good faith, with no intention of dumping waste illegally, but if you don’t take extra care when instructing others, you can land yourself with a hefty bill. It also demonstrates why it is important to attend an interview with us when we request it, so we can understand the complete facts.
“To avoid this, dispose of household waste yourself at one of our many Household Waste Recycling Centres for free. Taking a bit of time out of your week may save you a lot of money.”
South West Durham News covering news across County Durham.
