Pair who failed to attend court over fly-tipping investigations told to pay more than £2,500

Liam Sinclair and Craig Henderson both failed to attend scheduled interviews with officers from Durham County Council probing illegally dumped waste.

Sinclair, 20, of Windermere Road, in Seaham, was contacted in relation to household waste, cardboard boxes from children’s toys, broken appliances and

TV boxes were found on the grassed area beside the A1018 dual carriageway near to Seaham Grange Industrial Estate in May last year.

This included details of an individual who later told the local authority, while being interviewed under caution, that his former girlfriend had paid for the waste to be removed.

She later claimed she had paid Sinclair for the service, but the 20-year-old failed to show up to an interview with council staff and did not attempt to rearrange.

In a separate incident, fly-tipped waste was found on land at Elemore Lane, Pittington, earlier this year, along with numerous pieces of evidence relating to Craig Henderson, 40, of David Terrace, in Quarrington Hill.

Henderson was sent a letter requesting he make contact with the county council and attend a scheduled interview, which he did not attend.

Both Sinclair and Henderson also failed to attend Peterlee Magistrates Court, where their cases were heard in their absence.

Sinclair was subsequently told to pay a total of £1,214.29, including £660 fine, costs worth £488.29 and a £66 victim surcharge, for his failure to assist in the investigation into fly-tipping near Seaham Grange Industrial Estate.

Henderson was told to pay a total of £1,305.90, including a £660 fine, costs of £579.90 and a £66 victim surcharge, for failing to assist in the investigation of a fly-tipping in Pittington.

Ian Hoult, the county council’s neighbourhood protection manager, said: “We take fly-tipping very seriously in County Durham. Failing to assist our investigation prevents us from identifying those responsible and will not be tolerated.

“Your waste is your responsibility, and it is your duty to make sure that it is correctly disposed of.

"With a number of household waste recycling centres across the county, as well as bulky waste collections being available, there is simply no excuse for it to be dumped.”