West Lancashire Borough Council is working hard to crack down on flytipping and has prosecuted two more people after rubbish was found dumped in the area.

In one case at Wigan Magistrates Court Peter Curran, of Mardale Avenue, St Helens, was fined £480 and ordered to pay £502.07 costs and a £48 victim surcharge, a total of £1,030.07 after the court heard that a large amount of waste was found fly tipped at the side of Coach Road, Bickerstaffe which included household waste, garden waste and rubble which was traced back to a property in Skelmersdale, Lancashire.

The occupier of this property told Council officers they had obtained the details of a company from Facebook, Currans Garden Services Ltd and that they had removed this waste.

Enquiries were made and the company was traced back to Mr Curran. In court Mr Curran pleaded guilty to not lawfully collecting or disposing of waste and also to failing to provide waste transfer notes. Mr Curran had charged £30 to remove this waste from the property.

In a separate case Louise Partington, of Ledburn, Skelmersdale, was fined £120 and ordered to pay £397.17 costs and a £30 victim surcharge, a total of £547.17.

Wigan Magistrates Court heard that three bin bags were found tipped at the side of Vale Lane, Lathom, these bags were traced back to an address in the Ledburn area of Skelmersdale. Miss Partington was issued a £200 Fixed Penalty Notice in relation to this matter. As this was not paid Miss Partington was served a notice asking for information as to how the waste got dumped. In court Miss Partington pleaded guilty to failing to provide the Council with information to allow them to investigate the flytipping.

The Council would also like to remind all householders and businesses 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 collect 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.

Councillor Kevin Wright, portfolio holder for Health and Community Safety, said: "Flytipping is a criminal offence and this strong action taken by the Council and the courts shows how serious it is. Those found guilty can face serious penalties.

"The Council is ambitious for West Lancashire to have a good quality and clean environment and will continue to crackdown on flytipping and litter to protect the local environment."

If you think waste has been disposed of illegally then you can report this to the Council on our website www.westlancs.gov.uk/flytipping. You can also report problems with litter or fly-tipping by calling 01695 577177 between 8.30am and 5.30pm, Monday to Friday.

Fly tipping is precisely the reason re cycling centres were opened in the first place! The Council keeps adding more and more restrictions for residents to legitimately get rid of wast, but at what cost? It has to be more cost effective to have wast delivered to the recycling centres than clearing illegally dumped wast! WLBC has to be the enabler that’s what we pay our taxes for! If WLBC need more money in support of recycling centres then start charging Student let Landlord Council Tax, you know just like the rest of us have too! Wonder how may millions is lost every year?