Two residents who refused to clear up piles of rubbish in their own yards have been handed hefty fines.
They were prosecuted as part of Bolton Council’s ongoing crackdown on rubbish and fly-tipping.
Ian Dickinson ignored requests to get rid of a pile of bin bags, furnishings and household waste in the back garden of his rented property in Moorfield Grove, Tonge.
The council’s housing standards team received a complaint in June and asked Dickinson to remove the rubbish.
Inspectors found the rubbish was still there when they visited later in the month, so served an official notice requesting that the waste was removed.
A follow-up inspection confirmed that the waste had not been taken away and in July the council was forced to remove it at a cost of £200, which will be recovered from the tenant.
The 49-year-old failed to attend court and the matter was proved in his absence. He was found guilty of failing to comply with an abatement notice and was fined £440. He must also pay court costs of £296 and a £44 surcharge.
Another resident who lives in Kilsby Close, Farnworth has also been fined. Keeley Fitzsimmons, aged 30, dumped a settee, household items and several bags in the rear yard of her rented house.
The council received a complaint in May and wrote to Fitzsimmons asking her to remove the waste. An inspection in June confirmed the rubbish still remained.
She refused to clear it despite warnings and the council had to remove it in July costing £350. The clean-up costs will be recovered from Fitzsimmons.
Fitzsimmons was fined £440, in her absence, and ordered to pay court costs of £273 and a victim surcharge of £44.
A council spokesman said: “There is simply no excuse for dumping rubbish in the way these residents chose to, and we will prosecute when requests and warnings are ignored.
"Leaving the environment in this state affects everyone and we are grateful to the public for being vigilant and reporting these cases to us.
"We know that some will be quick to blame the slim bins for these cases, however these both occurred before the roll-out. So this purely is a matter of residents who - for whatever reason - refused to dispose of their waste properly.
“We are pleased that since we took enforcement action, there have been no further complaints about these properties.”
Complaints about waste on private land, including properties, should be referred to the council’s housing standards team on 01204 336500.