Northampton resident's £730 court bill for putting out his rubbish three days early

A Northampton man landed a £730 court bill after refusing to pay a council fine for putting out his rubbish three days early.

Wardens found five sacks of rubbish outside a property in Brook Street, Semilong, on Monday, May 23. Regular waste collections take place in that road on Thursdays each week.

The trash was traced to a Brook Street resident, Titi Daniel Ionescu.

Ionescu was issued with a £150 West Northamptonshire Council fixed penalty notice but taken to court when he refused to pay and accused of depositing litter at a place to which section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 applied.

Magistrates found the case proved in his absence at a hearing on October 11, issuing a £130 fine and and ordering Ionescu to pay £600 towards the council’s legal costs.

Councillor David Smith, cabinet member for regulatory services, said: “Our redbrick Victorian backstreets are by their very nature tight-knit communities and the actions of one person can impact many.

“Northampton residents are rightly frustrated by those who fail to store their waste securely and are happy to see it spread around their neighbourhood by animals and the wind.

“Ultimately it is the tax-payer who carries the cost of clearing litter and fly-tipping and if the community can help us reduce those costs by putting their waste out on the day of collection, there will be more resources to protect and improve other vital public services.”