Woman to pay over £1,000 for not assisting fly tip investigation

Fly tip at Egglestone Walk

We took legal action against Heather Campbell, of Egglestone Walk, St Helen Auckland, after one of our neighbourhood wardens came across a large fly tip in the area.

The waste consisted of black bin bags and general waste including a medicine box with Campbell's details and a letter addressed to another person with her address.

Interview request

After carrying out checks, we sent Campbell a letter asking her to contact the warden regarding her potential involvement or knowledge of the fly tip.

As no response was received, the warden then hand delivered a Section 108 notice to Campbell at her home, requiring her to attend a Police and Criminal Evidence (PACE) interview at Crook Customer Access Point.

Peterlee Magistrates Court heard that, on the day of the interview, the warden went to Crook Customer Access point and waited for Campbell. However, she did not attend and failed to contact the warden in any other way about the notice.

Court hearing

Campbell, 51, did not attend court and was found guilty of failing to assist with a fly tip investigation.

She was ordered to pay a £220 fine, an £88 victim surcharge and £744.60 costs, totalling £1,052.60.

Belinda Snow, our senior neighbourhood warden manager, said: "We know Egglestone Walk is an area that is often fly tipped, sometimes resulting in the waste being set on fire. A great deal of time and resource is dedicated to monitoring and tackling this small area of the county, with the costs being borne by us and, ultimately, the taxpayer.

"Fly tipping and other environmental offences are a concern shared by most of our residents, and something that will not be tolerated in this county. This case should serve as a stark warning that we take instances of fly tipping very seriously, including when a person fails to assist us with our investigations.

"We encourage people to make sure they dispose of their waste properly through our Household Waste Recycling Centres or bulky waste collection service."