Six people fined for littering and fly-tipping

Stacey Carr's waste was found dumped in Middleton in February 2016

Six people are counting the cost after being convicted of littering and fly-tipping offences.

The six were ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £2,571 after their cases were heard at Manchester & Salford Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (21 March).

Five of the defendants were seen dropping litter and were offered a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) by one of the council’s recently-introduced Town Centre Enforcement Wardens. 

The five failed to pay the FPNs (£75 reduced to £50 for prompt payment) so were taken to court. 

• Rochelle Rawlingson, 27, of Great Howarth, Rochdale, pleaded guilty at court to dropping litter in Rochdale town centre and was fined £45 with £50 costs and a £30 victim surcharge. 
• Karen Hardman, 57, of Cromer Street, Rochdale, did not attend court but was found guilty of dropping litter in Rochdale town centre. She was fined £220 with £280 costs and a £30 victim surcharge. 
• John Ahmad, 42, of Hope Court, Rochdale, did not appear at court but was found guilty of dropping litter in Middleton town centre. He was fined £220 with £280 costs and a £30 victim surcharge. 
• Gayle Benouire, 50, of Victoria Avenue, Manchester, did not appear at court but was found guilty of dropping litter in Middleton town centre. She was fined £220 with £280 costs and a £30 victim surcharge. 
• Andrew Jackson Blackburn, 29, of Coronation Road, Radcliffe, Bury, did not appear at court but was found guilty of dropping litter in Rochdale town centre. He was fined £220 with £280 costs and a £30 victim surcharge. 

In a separate case Stacey Carr, 30, of Woodland Road, Colwyn Bay, but formerly of Middleton, pleaded guilty to an offence contrary to the Environmental Protection Act (1990). Her waste was found fly-tipped in Higher Wood Street and Tabor Street, Middleton, in February 2016. 

She admitted employing an unnamed individual she found on Facebook to remove her waste for £50. She failed to make any enquiries as to whether or not the individual she employed was a licensed waste carrier. 

Carr was fined £110 and also ordered to pay a £50 costs contribution, £166 compensation and a £30 victim surcharge. 

Councillor Neil Emmott, the council’s cabinet member for housing and environment, said: “People and businesses have told us very clearly that they want clean streets and welcoming environments. That is why we have responded by introducing new town centre wardens who are taking action where they can. I hope that litter louts are starting to realise that we take this seriously and thanks to our new wardens we now have more resources to catch them.”