Four householders have been ordered to pay fines and costs of more than £1,800 for fly tipping offences in the Darlington area.

Lucy Evans and Charlie Wagstaff, both of St Michael’s Vale, Hebburn, were each fined £220 and ordered to pay £150 costs and a victim surcharge of £88 for breaching the Environment Act 1995 after their cases were heard in their absence at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (28 August).

The court heard that on May 3 this year, civic enforcement officers from Darlington Borough Council were on patrol when they found five bags of waste dumped in a layby on Sadberge Road.

Evidence was found linking the waste to Evans and Wagstaff who were invited to a voluntary interview but failed to attend.

A notice was issued under Section 108 of the Environment Act 1995 which required them to attend council offices for interview or make suitable alternative arrangements. They both failed to do so, and the case was referred to the court.

Louise Robinson, of Hollyhurst Road, Darlington, was also found guilty in her absence of breaching a Community Protection Notice contrary to Section 48(1), (2)(a) and 52 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

She was fined £220 and ordered to pay £130 costs and a victim surcharge of £88.

The court heard that on 14 May this year, Robinson was issued with the Community Protection Notice (CPN) instructing her not to leave household waste in the back lane of Hollyhurst Road.

On June 3, a civic enforcement officer on patrol found bags of waste linked to Robinson in the back lane, in breach of the CPN. A fixed penalty notice was issued, but when Robinson failed to pay the case was referred to court.

Earlier this month, on 13 August, magistrates also dealt with a case again Lisa Whattam, of Wright Close, Newton Aycliffe, who was found guilty of a breach of Section 110(2)(a) and (5) of the Environment Act 1995. She was fined £220 and ordered to pay £150 costs and a victim surcharge of £88.

The court heard that on 12 February this year, the council received a report of a fly tip in the back lane of Farrer Street, Darlington where officers found numerous bags of household waste. Evidence was found that linked it to Whattam who was invited to a voluntary interview but failed to attend.

Whattam was issued a notice under Section 108 of the Environment Act 1995 which required her to attend council offices for interview or make suitable alternative arrangements. She failed to do so, and the case was referred to the court.

Councillor Amanda Riley, Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet member for stronger communities, said: “These are the latest cases to reach court and act as a clear reminder that we will take action against those who flout the law.

“We would also remind householders that if you pay someone, other than the council, to take your waste away, you should always check they have a waste carrier licence and ask for a waste transfer note. If your waste is fly tipped, you could be fined along with the individual or company you paid to remove it.

“Our staff work hard to keep our streets and back lanes clean and fly tipping of any kind will not be tolerated.”

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The Environment Agency issues waste carrier licences. You can check if a company has a licence using the online register at https://bit.ly/CheckENV

Information on the correct means of disposing of all types of waste can be found on the council’s website www.darlington.gov.uk. 

Most household items can be disposed of for free at the tip – for more details visit www.darlington.gov.uk/tip. If you can’t get to the tip you can book a Bulky Waste Collection – for more details visit www.darlington.gov.uk/bulkywaste.

You can report a fly-tip, or anyone you see fly-tipping, online at www.darlington.gov.uk/reportit.