Preston mum's £1,716 bill for flytipping rubbish

Flytipper Claire Cushnaghan, 34, of Cedar Road, Ribbleton, Preston, left rubbish strewn across land off Fulwood Row, Preston, and then failed to comply with an order by Preston Council to explain her actions.

She did not attend Preston Magistrates’ Court for the hearing and was convicted in her absence. She now faces £1,320 in fines, £330 costs and a £66 surcharge.

The court was told in September 2015, dismantled wooden furniture and general household waste was dumped onto land off Fulwood Row.

A letter addressed to Cushnaghan at her home was found in one of the rubbish bags, linking her to the scene.

The bench heard the parkland was intended for recreation use only and there is no environmental permit in force which would permit anyone to deposit controlled waste there.

Prosecuting, Jorge Carrera said Paul Cookson, an authorised waste enforcement officer, had attended the scene around 1.30pm on September 2015 after a complaint was received

Mr Carrera added: “The waste was strewn around the grass area and also down the banking which led to a small water course.”

Mr Cookson visited Cushnaghan’s home and she claimed to have paid a local man for the removal service, but was unable to give details about him.

Cushnaghan was offered the chance to deal with the offence by an £80 fixed penalty notice for the offence of littering but no response was received.

She was found guilty of failed to take measures ensure the waste was transferred to an authorised person, and failing to comply with a notice by failing to attend an interview at Preston Town Hall to reply to questions the council had asked about the incident.