Fly-tipper ordered to pay up almost £1,500 after dumping bags of rubbish in Sunderland containing items detailing her name and address

Stephanie Wright, 27, of Caledonian Road, Hylton Castle, will be paying a hefty price for dumping bags of rubbish on land near her home.

Sunderland Magistrates’ Court found two cases of fly-tipping proved in Wright’s absence.

Tony Southwick, prosecuting on behalf of Sunderland City Council, said staff were called to a green space at the rear of Caledonian Road in April last year by residents complaining of waste.

He said environment support officers found eight black refuse bags filled with household rubbish, which had been dumped there.

On investigation they found several items which had Wright’s name and address on them.

Mr Southwick said: “On May 8 they received another report of a further accumulation of waste on the same grassed area.”

He said this time there were three green sacks of household waste, which included a dog bed and various items of plastic.”

Mr Southwick said officers attended Wright’s home several times to talk to her, but couldn’t get an answer and she never replied to their calling cards.

He said they also wrote to her saying a meeting had been set up at John Crawford House to discuss the issue, but Wright didn’t attend the appointment.

She was then served with a penalty notice, two reminders and a letter of court action, but Wright has not responded.

Mr Southwick said: “Nothing has been returned. She has not made any attempt to contact the council.”

Magistrates fined Wright £700 and she was also ordered to pay £685.70 in costs and a £35 surcharge.

Coun Amy Wilson, Sunderland City Council’s cabinet member for Environment and Transport, said: “The vast majority of people in our city don’t leave litter around and they dispose of their waste properly.

“As a council, we have stepped up our enforcement against the city’s litter louts with extra powers, more staffing and resources, more warnings, more legal action and we recently crushed a fly-tipper’s van.

“Littering and fly-tipping is unacceptable, untidy and unlawful, and people must face the consequences of their actions.”