A woman has been fined by magistrates after her household waste was dumped in a recycling centre.
In December, environmental enforcement officers from the then Eden District Council – now Westmorland and Furness Council – were alerted to a significant amount of fly-tipping in Tebay Recycling Centre.
An investigation found evidence linking it to Martina Marriott, of Hilldale View, Gaisgill.
She claimed that men who had been working on her house had taken it away as a favour, but failed to provide information about their identity to council officers.
On July 27, she attended Carlisle Magistrates Court and admitted failing in her duty of care relating to the transfer of household waste
Magistrates ordered her to pay a total of £206.
Westmorland and Furness Council said people are reminded that anyone who takes their waste away should have the correct permits and paperwork, and that they are committing an offence by allowing their waste be taken by someone without these.
Councillor Dyan Jones, cabinet member for customer and waste services at Westmorland and Furness Council, said: “It is important that anyone who offers to take away waste has an upper tier waste carrier’s licence which they can show if requested before removing waste, and it’s also important that residents are aware of their responsibility for what happens to their household waste.
“Whether you pay someone to take your waste away or they take it for free, it is vital that you are satisfied that they are legally licensed to do so and it is helpful to record their details. Genuine licensed waste carriers are unlikely to object to giving you their details or showing you their waste carrier’s licence.
“If your waste is subsequently fly-tipped as in this case, and you can help identify who took the waste away, it is the fly-tipper that the council will then pursue.”
