Sunderland City Council cracks down on littering offenders

On Wednesday 17 February Joseph Carolan, Emma Dodds and Sophie Jackson appeared at South Tyneside Magistrates Court over separate offences which took place last year.

Mr Carolan had deposited black bags of household waste and several pieces of wood in the rear lane of Leonard Street in Hendon, without authority to do so. Sunderland City Council's Neighbourhood Enforcement Team responded quickly to the reports of the waste and were able to use this as evidence to trace it back to him.

Mr Carolan failed to attend his first hearing last year, resulting in a warrant for his arrest being served. On his appearance on Wednesday 17 he entered a guilty plea, and was given a fine of £200, clearance costs of £68, and court costs of £159.

Meanwhile Ms Dodds and Ms Jackson were both charged with the offence of littering cigarette ends on High Street West on separate occasions. Both were issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice of £150 for littering respectively, however failed to pay the charges despite several reminder letters.

In both cases they failed to attend court, and the court proceeded against the offence of littering in their absence. Ms Dodds and Ms Jackson both received a £220 fine, victim surcharge of £34 and court costs of £235.

Cllr Graeme Miller, Leader of Sunderland City Council, said: "Fly-tipping and littering are an issue in our city, which we are working very hard within our communities to tackle. Sunderland City Council has invested in additional resources to ensure that our streets remain clean, and offenders are suitably dealt with.

"I'd like to thank anyone reporting these incidents and helping keep our streets clean. Those offending need to know that Sunderland City Council are taking enforcement action against anyone found committing these crimes."

Fly-tipping is a criminal offence punishable by a fine of up to £50,000 or 12 months imprisonment if convicted in a Magistrates' Court. The offence can attract an unlimited fine and up to 5 years imprisonment if convicted in a Crown Court.

If you witness any fly-tipping in your area, you can report it to https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/report-flytipping

Book a bulky waste collection visit: https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/bulky-waste