Stakeford man fined for fly tipping waste twice after being paid to collect it without having a licence

28-year-old John Joe Maughan, of Riversdale House, Oaklands, Stakeford, must pay £748 after he admitted two fly tipping offences at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court.

Northumberland County Council received a report that household rubbish had been dumped on land at Lyneburn Cottage Travellers' Site in Lynemouth in December 2022.

The council’s environment team then found household waste of a similar nature had been dumped in January 2023 at Potland Burn, off Longhirst Road. The council removed both sets of waste.

Maughan was identified as the culprit and was interviewed under caution. He admitted he had been paid to remove the waste from a property but did not have a permit, so dumped it illegally in the two locations.

At his court hearing, on November 3, he had his fine reduced from £480 to £320 for his early guilty plea and was also ordered to pay £300 in costs and a victim surcharge of £128.

Councillor and cabinet member Gordon Stewart said: “This is the second successful prosecution we have carried out this month and highlights our zero tolerance approach to fly tipping.

“It is a blight on our beautiful county and costs time and money to clear up. Thankfully in this instance Mr Maughan will be footing the bill, not the council tax payer.”

The council warned people to dispose of household waste at a council tip or ensure any independent waste carriers whose services they enlist have an Environment Agency licence, else they risk being fined alongside the waste carrier.