Bath, toilet cistern and other rubbish dumped in Sunderland was 'taken by driver called Micky', claimed woman fined £1,100

A bath, toilet cistern and several bags of rubbish – just some of the junk found dumped at a fly-tipping blackspot which led to a woman being fined more than £1,100 after she failed to appear at court.
Photographic evidence from Sunderland City CouncilPhotographic evidence from Sunderland City Council
Photographic evidence from Sunderland City Council

Kayleigh Chapman, of 47 Deerness Road, Hendon, was prosecuted by Sunderland City Council for failing to give information after the junk was found dumped in November 2018.

On July 24, the court heard that on November 12 last year, the council received a report of fly-tipping in Ropery Road, Deptford. There was a large quantity of plasterboard, a corner bath, a toilet and cistern, and several black bags of household waste.

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It comes as the Echo runs its Clean Streets campaign, aimed at encouraging people to keep Wearside tidy – and report fly-tippers and litterbugs.

The waste was traced to a householder in Pitcairn Road, Pennywell, who told council officers she had been carrying out renovations work. She had been contacted by Miss Chapman who offered to arrange the waste removal work.

The householder accepted the offer and a van driver arrived to take the waste away for £50. When shown the fly-tipping photographs by a council officer, she said she was 'appalled' and confirmed that it was her waste that had been taken away by the driver called ‘Micky’.

Further inquiries led the council to Miss Chapman's address and she agreed to attend an interview on November 27 at the council's Jack Crawford House office in Commercial Road. A message was later received that she would not be attending, the council said.

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Council officers say they made repeated attempts to contact Miss Chapman. The court heard that no further contact has been received from Miss Chapman and the fly-tipping investigation could not proceed.

The court found the case of ‘failing to provide’ proved in Miss Chapman's absence. Because it had no information about her income, it imposed a fine of £1,100, a victim surcharge of £30 and awarded the council costs of £265, all to be paid in 28 days.

Coun Amy Wilson, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: "The city council does not like fly-tipping, and the vast majority of people in our city do not like fly-tipping either. If you have information about fly-tipping then it's important that people assist the council with its inquiries."