A woman has been ordered to pay almost £1,000 following a County Durham fly-tip.
Durham County Council’s wardens found a large amount of household waste at the back of Brewer Street, Bishop Auckland, in March last year.
Among furniture, bags of waste and general rubbish, was a cardboard box bearing the name and address of Kimberley Harper laid on top.
Council tax checks confirmed that Harper lived at Short Street in Bishop Auckland and the 41-year-old was sent a letter asking her to contact the council regarding the fly-tip.
Magistrates in Newton Aycliffe heard that after Harper failed to contact the council, she was issued with a notice under the Environment Act, requesting that she attend an interview to assist with the investigation.
This was arranged for 30 April 2025, but Harper failed to attend the interview and didn’t contact the authority to advise that she couldn’t attend that date.
Harper admitted failing to ensure the waste was disposed of correctly and failing to assist with the investigation into the fly-tip, stating that she believed the person removing her household waste was a legitimate company.
She was fined and ordered to pay the cost of the clean-up, in addition to investigation and legal costs, totalling £965.
Ian Hoult, Durham County Council’s neighbourhood protection manager, said: “Unfortunately, this area is known for having issues with fly-tipping, which has a detrimental effect on residents and businesses there and will not be tolerated.
“We hope this case highlights how seriously we take issues of fly-tipping in County Durham and serves as a clear warning that we all have a responsibility to ensure our household waste is disposed of properly. Every fly-tip that we clear comes at a cost to the public and taxpayer.
“There are many ways to dispose of waste correctly, whether through booking a bulky waste collection or taking unwanted items to any of our Household Waste Recycling Centres for free. If we all act responsibly, cases like this could be easily avoided.”
To find out more about how to dispose of waste correctly, visit www.durham.gov.uk/recycling
