15 bags of dumped waste lands Heywood resident with hefty fine

More than 15 bags and a mattress were found

A pile of dumped waste has landed a Heywood resident with a hefty fine.

38-year-old Rachell Warwick pleaded guilty to fly-tipping contrary to Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act (1990) at Manchester & Salford Magistrates’ Court on Friday 10 December.

In July 2021, the council responded to a complaint of fly-tipping on Cedar Avenue, which included a mattress and more than 15 black bin bags, where correspondence addressed to Ms Warwick was found contained in some of the waste.

Ms Warwick attended an interview where she admitted to depositing six or seven of the bags but denied that the rest was hers.

She was offered a Fixed Penalty Notice for the sum of £400, reduced to £250 for prompt payment, yet failed to pay.

She pleaded guilty at court, receiving a £400 fine, plus costs of £498.13 and a victim surcharge of £40.

Councillor Liam O’Rourke, cabinet member for environment and facilities, said: “This prosecution comes just a week after another as we continue to take a hard stance on illegal fly-tipping.

“This is a perfect example of how reporting fly-tipping can end in a satisfactory result as we will not tolerate dumping rubbish anywhere. Do not think just because there is waste already discarded, it’s acceptable to add to it. We should all be proud of where we live and dispose of waste responsibly.”

If you have any information about fly-tipping, littering or those responsible, please report it at rochdale.gov.uk/flytipping or by calling 0300 303 8884.