Northampton woman lands £1,600 court bill over bags of rotting rubbish dumped on verges

Magistrates hit a Northampton woman with a £1,600 court bill after she admitted being responsible for sacks of rotting rubbish found dumped on grass verges near her home.

Adele Batchelor was given a £400 fixed penalty notice in 2019 after neighbourhood wardens traced a large sack containing nine black bin bags full of rubbish dumped on a grass verge in Bellinge.

The 33-year-old ignored the notice but her court appearance was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

More sacks and carrier bags containing rotting and decomposing household waste also belonging to Batchelor were found dumped in March 2021.

Two cases were rolled into one court appearance earlier this month when Batchelor, of Campion Court, admitted two offences under Section 34 of the Environmental Health Act by failing in her duty of care for her household waste.

Batchelor claimed she left the rubbish after paying someone to clear it for her but that they had failed to collect it.

Magistrates fined her £270 for each offence and ordered her to pay court costs amounting to £1,000, plus a £66 surcharge to fund victim services.

Councillor David Smith, West Northamptonshire Council cabinet member for community safety said: “We are determined to tackle environmental crime.

"It spoils our towns and countryside and has a negative effect on the people living here, which is why we will not hesitate to take enforcement action against the perpetrators.

“I hope the results of court cases like this sends out a strong message that environmental crime such as this will not be tolerated.”