Ashington man fined for fly-tipping in a back lane after moving house from Widdrington

James Gordon, 46, pleaded guilty at Newcastle Crown Court to dumping his rubbish in the rear lane of Queen Street at a hearing on Thursday, September 21.

He had recently relocated to the address from the Widdrington area when the offence took place.

He was fined by the judge, £500 reduced to £450 for a guilty plea, and ordered to pay £450 in costs plus a victim surcharge.

The waste was reported to Northumberland County Council in September 2020 and officers had to arrange for it to be removed.

Gordon was identified by the council as the culprit. He did not cooperate with the council’s investigation and was abusive to the environmental enforcement officer that attended his address.

He failed to go to various court appointments, leading to his arrest on warrant for failing to attend.

He initially pleaded not guilty and elected for the case to be heard at Crown Court, which resulted in a long delay.

Councillor Gordon Stewart, cabinet member for communities, said: “No matter what the waste or the reasons behind it, fly-tipping is a very serious offence because of the damage it causes to the environment, as well as the cost to the taxpayer of clearing and disposing of the waste.

“We will always rigorously pursue offenders to bring them to justice, no matter how long it takes.

“This latest successful prosecution is the result of the council’s ongoing zero tolerance approach to fly-tipping.”