A WOMAN has been prosecuted after failing to pay a fixed penalty notice for fly-tipping in Audenshaw.
Tameside Magistrates’ Court heard that council waste enforcement officers were called to investigate dumped rubbish at Scott Gate on May 8, 2025.
Officers traced the waste back to Jody Ashton, of West View, who was then offered the chance to settle the matter by paying a fixed penalty notice.
The court was told that on June 6, 2025, Ms Ashton contacted Tameside Council and admitted the waste belonged to her, but said she did not have the money to pay the fine.
To give her extra time, the council extended the payment deadline to three months and sent several reminders. However, the fine was never paid and there was no further contact.
When the case returned to court on April 10, 2026, Ms Ashton pleaded guilty to fly-tipping.
She told magistrates she had placed a medicine bag inside a bag of waste, which had then been put inside someone else’s bin. She denied responsibility for the black bags themselves or for them being left dumped on the pavement.
Magistrates handed Ms Ashton a six-month conditional discharge and ordered her to pay £200 towards prosecution costs, along with a £26 victim surcharge.
Tameside Council’s Strategic Director of Housing, Environment and Estates, Julian Jackson, said: “We know how much fly-tipping concerns residents and we have a robust approach to finding those responsible and holding them to account. We’re often asked what happens if people don’t pay a fixed penalty notice and, as this case exemplifies, we prosecute them in court.
“There is no excuse for fly-tipping, it is a blight on our local communities and environment and our teams work hard to tackle it. Latest figures show that in 2024/25 we issued 224 fixed penalty notices for fly-tipping – more than anywhere else in the north west and this is the second year running that we’ve topped the tables in taking enforcement action against dumped waste.
“My thanks go to our teams who are out there every day investigating and clearing fly-tipping and thank you also to all members of the community who work with us to tackle fly-tipping and clear litter – most people take immense pride, care and shared responsibility for the places where they live.”
The council says the case highlights the consequences of ignoring fixed penalty notices, with unpaid fines potentially leading to prosecution through the courts rather than the issue simply going away.