A WOMAN whose household waste was found dumped next to a litter bin in Ashton-under-Lyne has been hit with a fine.
A Tameside Council street cleaner found black bin bags of rubbish in Pottinger Street in May last year.
It was traced back to Lucy Connolly, of Park Lane in Oldham, who was slapped with a fixed penalty notice of £200.
After it was not paid, she was taken to Tameside Magistrates’ Court on January 29.
Ms Connolly told magistrates she had paid a friend of her family to remove the waste and claimed she had no idea that he would simply dump the waste.
She pleaded guilty to a breach of duty of care to transfer household waste only to an authorised person, and was ordered to pay £350 in clean-up costs to the local authority.
Tameside Council says it’s the second time they have prosecuted someone relating to waste this year and have already issued 35 fixed penalty notices so far in 2025.
The council’s Executive Member for Environmental Services and Neighbourhoods says it serves as a reminder to households that they must dispose of waste responsibly.
“If you hand your waste over to someone who is not licensed to dispose of waste and who then dumps it illegally, you could be liable to prosecution,” warned Councillor Laura Boyle.
“Always check if the person you are paying to remove your waste has an appropriate licence and can provide you with waste transfer notes. It is also useful to record the vehicle details, including the registration number, and note a description of the people involved.
“Fly-tipping is a blight on our communities and ruins the appearance of our neighbourhoods and we will always take action where we find evidence of those responsible.”
Residents can check whether a waste carrier is licensed on the Environment Agency website here, or find more information about fly-tipping, reporting issues and providing evidence on the council website here.