THOUSANDS of pounds in fines and charges have been handed down to fly-tippers who have blighted the Darlington area with dumped rubbish.

Seven cases were heard at Darlington Magistrates’ Court this week relating to littering offences and more than £2,000 was imposed in fines, court costs and charges.

A site in the Faverdale black path area was among the largest fly tips discovered in the borough, with council officers finding household waste including carpets, black bags and a wicker basket at the site.

Following extensive inquiries, the waste was linked to Stephen Elstob, 23, of Ardmore Drive, Darlington, as the person responsible for collecting the waste from various addresses in Darlington and surrounding areas.

Mr Elstob said he had not dumped the waste but admitted he had been involved in the job and should have ensured the debris was disposed of correctly.

He said he had found out about the job via Facebook and had been paid £30 to £40 for collecting the waste.

Mr Elstob admitted littering in court and was fined £350, plus £150 costs, a £35 victim surcharge and £58.60 compensation.

Councillor Nick Wallis, Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet member for the environment said:

“The magistrates gave a strong message to Mr Elstob that depositing waste in this manner was not acceptable and agreed with the council that it was an eyesore.

“The chair of the magistrates said a message needed to go out as illegal depositing of waste is an ongoing problem.

“Household waste of this nature can be deposited free of charge at the Whessoe Road tip.”

Six other cases were also heard at Wednesday’s court session relating to littering offences and a total of £1,247 in fines, £720 in costs, £900 in court charges and £130 in victim surcharges were handed down.

Cllr Wallis said the council was keen to send a message to fly tippers that their actions will not be tolerated and enforcement action will be taken against perpetrators.

He added: “As well as making the town look unsightly, and being dangerous, the annual cost of street cleaning and clearing up after fly tippers costs Darlington tax payers approximately £1.5m a year.

“The vast majority of people living in Darlington are responsible and care about the borough, these cases show that we will catch and punish those who persist in this anti-social behaviour.”