Woman fined for leaving waste rotting in yard

The prosecution was brought by Doncaster Council’s public health team after Charlene Louise Turner left rubbish lying around for over three months, leading to fears that it would attract rats.

The problem was identified on a so-called “street walk” by the council’s environmental health office, which had received numerous complaints about refuse in the area, the court heard.

Officers wrote to Turner, asking her to clear away the rubbish and provided her with information about Doncaster Council’s bulky waste collection service.

She ignored this letter, and so she was eventually served a notice in July to remove the waste. By September, the mess had not moved so the council intervened to remove it.

Turner, of Belmont Avenue, was sent a bill for the clean-up but refused to pay the £93.44 charge.

Doncaster magistrates were told that officers were then forced to bring her before the court. Turner was convicted of failing to dispose of domestic rubbish, was fined £350, ordered to pay costs of £286.55 and a victim surcharge of £15, and was told she must pay the outstanding £93.44 clean-up charge.

After the hearing, Doncaster Council’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods and regulatory and customer services, Coun Cynthia Ransome, said: “I believe that people in Doncaster should be free to live their lives with the absolute minimum of interference from the authorities.

“There are certain circumstances, however, where people’s actions are putting others’ health and well being at risk so it is right that we do intervene and use the powers available to us.

“It is not acceptable to dump waste anywhere in Doncaster and we will continue taking action against those who refuse to take responsibility.”