A property firm has been fined £5,000 after it failed to clear a mountain of fly-tipped junk - including a mattress, a sofa, and a car seat.
Community Build Werneth Ltd, based in Oldham, was summoned to appear in Tameside Magistrates Court after the firm breached a legal notice that ordered the rubbish on Norfolk Street to be cleaned up.
The dumped junk, which included various pieces of furniture, household items, and black bin bags of rubbish, was not cleared, and a prosecution case against the firm was opened.
A representative from the company was supposed to appear in front of the bench on April 12, but no one attended.
The magistrates found the firm guilty in its absence, and slapped it with a £5,000 fine.
An extra £781.96 in costs and a £181 victim surcharge was also enforced, bringing the total fee up to £5,962.96.
Further fly-tipping convictions
Three more people have also been dragged before the courts to face fly-tipping accusations.
Shannon Mullany and Lian McClung of Victoria Street, Chadderton, were also given a legal notice to clean up their property, which had several bags of rubbish piled up by the bins.
The pair didn't clear the garbage, however, and also failed to attend a court hearing on May 6, where the case was proven in their absence.
They were each fined £660, before being ordered to pay costs of £409 each.
A victim surcharge of £66 meant that both Mullany and McClung will need to pay £1,135 to the court.
Craig Leigh, of Age Croft, Oldham, was also hauled before the court on May 10.
The 45-year-old pleaded guilty to fly-tipping after he'd left black bin bags of rubbish on the pavement outside his home, expecting other people to clear it away.
He was given a 12-month conditional discharge, and ordered to pay £100 in costs, and a £20 victim surcharge.
Coun Amanda Chadderton, cabinet member for neighbourhoods at the council, said: “Our residents are sick and tired of fly-tipping and dumped rubbish.
“As councillors it’s one of the biggest issues people raise with us – and rightly so.
“Every bit of dumped rubbish makes our town look unclean.
“It’s our hardworking staff who have to clean up the rubbish with the cost being picked up by council tax paying residents.
“As a council we’ll continue to investigate all reports that are sent to us. And as these prosecutions show we will take action if we find evidence linking it to an individual or business.
“Since January we’ve given out 133 fines for the offence and more are to follow. Sadly, despite all our efforts people will continue to dump waste and litter
“If you see fly-tipping, or people dumping waste, report it to us.”
Report fly tipping by visiting the council's website, or by searching for "Oldham council flytipping" on Google.
