Woman fined after her dumped household waste was found during Our Streets clean up

A WOMAN has been fined by magistrates for a waste offence investigated during a Tameside Council Our Streets day of action to tackle litter and flytipping.

Tameside Magistrates’ Court heard that on 15 March 2023, a council officer attended Reynold Street, Hyde as part of a waste enforcement day of action within Hyde town centre.

The officer found a bag of household waste and a number of other household items, including cushions, which was traced to Dawn Stevenson, of Market Street, Hyde.

Ms Stevenson was offered the opportunity to pay a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) for the offence of littering but she ignored all correspondence and several reminders to pay the FPN.

Ms Stevenson pleaded guilty at Tameside Magistrates’ Court on 8 February 2024 to a householder duty of care offence (s34).

Ms Stevenson told the Court that she did not have a bin, but was permitted to use the bin of a takeaway, but that was locked, so she used another one, and that person must have deposited it.

Magistrates ordered Ms Stevenson to pay a £50 fine and £20 victim surcharge.

Tameside Council Assistant Executive Member Cllr Vincent Ricci, who is responsible for enforcement, said: “I know how much litter and flytipping concerns local residents and it’s good to see yet an another example of the positive enforcement results we are getting from the Our Streets days of action, which highlight work that takes place every day to tackle waste issues.

“All residents have a duty of care to ensure their household waste is disposed of legally and responsibly and there is no excuse for waste being dumped in the street. We will always take enforcement action where we have the evidence to do so.”

To report fly tipping in Tameside see www.tameside.gov.uk/flytipping

For more information on the Our Streets campaign see www.tameside.gov.uk/ourstreets