Two residents have been fined after ignoring warnings to remove stinking rubbish from their back yards.
Jozef Bihari was prosecuted by Bolton Council’s Housing Standards team for repeatedly leaving waste which attracted vermin behind his house in Brandwood Street.
Officers investigating a complaint in June 2017 found two mattresses, numerous foul-smelling black bags and other rubbish. The 51-year-old was issued with an abatement notice and he cleared the mess, but more appeared and another complaint was received a month later.
This happened repeatedly leading to further complaints that the rubbish had attracted vermin.
The council was forced to clear Bihari’s back yard and he was found guilty of failing to comply with an abatement notice at Bolton Magistrates’ Court. He was fined £440 and ordered to pay £406 costs and a £44 victim surcharge.
Lisa Marie Sutton (37), of Elgin Street, failed to remove a corner sofa, a double mattress, bedding, stinking black bags and other rubbish from her rear yard in July last year. The council was again forced to clean up.
She was found guilty of failing to comply with an abatement notice and was fined £440 with £228 costs and a £44 victim surcharge.
Bolton Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Cllr Elaine Sherrington, said: “These fines send a strong message that there is simply no excuse for dumping rubbish in this way.
“The actions of one or two people can affect the entire community and both these residents were given the opportunity to clean up their act but failed to do so.
"We are grateful to the public for reporting these cases and we will always consider prosecutions when warnings and legal notices are ignored.”
Complaints about waste on private land, including properties, can be made to the council’s Housing Standards team on 01204 336500 or housingstandards@bolton.gov.uk