West Lancashire Borough Council is warning residents they must dispose of waste legally after a resident was convicted of fly-tipping.

Collette Jacobs, of Dearden Way, Up Holland, was ordered to pay £593.48 by Wigan Magistrates Court for dumping 14 bags of waste in the garden of an empty house in Beechtrees.

The Court heard that when West Lancashire Borough Council traced the bags of rubbish back to Miss Jacobs she claimed she had been told by workmen from the Council she could put the waste there. The Council told the court it made extensive enquiries and found that there were no Council workers in the area at the time.

Councillor Kevin Wright, portfolio holder for Health and Community Safety, said: “The Council continues to work hard to tackle fly-tipping, which is a serious criminal offence with unlimited fines for individuals and business found guilty of offences.

“The message from the Council is simple. Don’t dispose of waste illegally or you could face serious consequences.”

If you think waste has been disposed of illegally then you can report this to the Council 24 hours a day on our website www.westlancs.gov.uk/flytipping. Or you can call 01695 577177 between 8.30am and 5.30pm Monday to Friday.

The Council would also like to remind all householders that they need to make sure any waste that they have removed is disposed of legally. Anyone removing waste as part of a business must have a waste carriers licence and give waste transfer notes to whomever they take waste from. Householders can check if anyone who removes waste from them has a waste carriers’ licence by contacting the Environment Agency on 03708 506506 or going on their website http://www.gov.uk/government/organis...ronment-agency.