Batley fly-tipping: Woman ordered to pay £1,400 after ignoring Kirklees Council fine
A Birstall resident has been forced to fork out almost £1,500 after ignoring a fixed penalty notice for fly-tipping.
On February 1, Susan Wigglesworth (65), of Victoria Street, was caught dumping cardboard and plastic packaging from her car on Grange Road, Batley.
Kirklees Council enforcement officers traced the rubbish back to the resident through address labels.
The offender had the chance to pay a £300 fixed penalty notice to avoid prosecution but failed to do so.
Despite being warned of the consequences by a council officer, Mrs Wigglesworth ignored the notice and was subsequently prosecuted.
At Kirklees Magistrates’ Court on August 27, she pleaded guilty to fly-tipping under section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and received a £615 fine. She was also ordered to pay £575 costs and a £246 court surcharge.
Speaking after the hearing, Coun Amanda Pinnock, cabinet member for communities and environment, said: “This case is a clear warning to anyone who thinks they can ignore a fixed penalty notice.
“A moderate fine quickly escalated into a prosecution and costs that have quadrupled – all of which could have been avoided.
“Fly-tipping blights our community, harms residents’ quality of life and puts local wildlife at risk, and we are committed to a zero-tolerance approach and will continue to take action against offenders.”
Registered waste carriers can be found by checking the following webpage: https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers