Sarah Louise Richardson appeared at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court after a build-up of waste on her property became an eyesore for neighbours and presented a health hazard by attracting vermin that spread disease
A woman has been taken to court after allowing her garden to become a rubbish strewn wasteland filled with vermin.
Sarah Louise Richardson found herself in the dock at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court due to the state of her back garden. Neighbours complained it had become a blight and a health risk by attracting disease-spreading vermin.
Photos of the property show a pile of bulging rubbish bags dumped in the garden with unruly weeds growing between them, reports Chronicle Live.
Throughout 2023, Northumberland County Council received complaints about the build up of household waste at Ms Richardson’s Ashington, Northumberland address. An officer from the Public Protection Environmental Enforcement Team stepped in to investigate and tried to get her to remove the waste. She was handed a Community Protection Warning, giving her 22 days to clear the rubbish.
However, when this didn’t happen, a Community Protection Notice (CPN) was issued, giving her another 25 days to remove the rubbish. But further inspections revealed the rubbish was still there.
As not complying with a CPN is a criminal offence, Ms Richardson was liable to be prosecuted. The council eventually removed the waste and claimed the costs of doing so as part of the prosecution against her. She was found guilty of failing to comply with a Community Protection Notice on Friday, April 5.
Now Ms Richardson has been slapped with a hefty fine totalling £1,090.09 after failing to heed warnings about her rubbish-strewn garden.
Northumberland county councillor Gordon Stewart, who’s responsible for community upkeep, has declared the council’s unwavering stance on environmental crime. He said: “Nobody wants to see their street turned into an eyesore or a dumping ground, which is why we won’t hesitate to take action against those committing these offences.
“We understand that people will from time to time need to store some rubbish in their gardens for a short period, but it is not acceptable for anyone to ignore the repeated advice of our Environmental Protection officers and allow their garden to become an unhygienic eyesore for months on end. I hope this prosecution sends a firm message to those who fail to take responsibility for their own waste and who ignore the effect their actions have on the quality of life of their neighbours.”
The improper disposal of rubbish is a major issue across the UK. For the 2021/22 year, local authorities in England dealt with 1.09 million fly-tipping incidents – which is a slight decrease of 4% from the 1.14 million reported in 2020/21.
In a bid to get those figures down, the UK Government has announced plans to introduce mandatory digital waste tracking from April 2025. The system would require those who produce, handle, dispose of or make products from waste, to enter information onto it, making it easier for those responsible for fly tips to be found and held responsible.