A MAN has been fined after a sofa, chairs and other waste was left strewn over a country lane.

Household items including furniture, boxes and cabinets were dumped in the lane off Newfield, near Chester-le-Street in August.

Neighbourhood wardens traced the rubbish to a house in nearby Grange Villa, where the householder said he had agreed to pay a man who called at the house to take it away.

At Peterlee Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, Thomas Adey, of Coniston Avenue, Easington Lane, pleaded guilty to fly-tipping, fraudulently collecting household waste and depositing waste on the highway which could have injured or endangered someone.

In mitigation, the 25-year-old told the court he had just started his own business collecting scrap and he knew he needed a permit to dispose of waste but had not obtained one yet.

He was fined £80, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £20 and costs of £100.

Ian Hoult, neighbourhood protection manager, Durham County Council, said: “Household waste must be disposed of legally and responsibly and we can readily provide permits for people to do this.

“This case saw a large amount of household goods dumped in the open countryside.

“We will not tolerate fly-tipping and it is absolutely vital when paying someone to take your rubbish away that you know it is going to be disposed of legally.”