A landlord in the north of England has received the largest fine that his local council has ever secured for a waste prosecution.

Landlord AK Estates (NW) Ltd of Blackburn was prosecuted for disposing of controlled waste in the rear alley of a street in the town in January 2020 following the refurbishment of one of its properties. 

The firm pleaded not guilty to the offence, but was found guilty in its absence at Blackburn Magistrates Court this week. 

It was fined £2,700, plus £1,200 costs and £750 compensation.

Three local residents have also been prosecuted and fined for similar offences. 

Jim Smith, a councillor on Blackburn with Darwen local authority, says: “Once again we’re sending out a clear message to residents in Blackburn with Darwen that waste crimes like these will not be tolerated.  

“Our teams are working hard to catch waste crime culprits and prosecute them in court.  If you witness a waste crime you can report it anonymously on our website for our Environmental Crime team to investigate.  Not only do incidents like these cost a lot of money to clean up, they create eyesores in our communities and can damage the environment too.  

“The vast majority of our residents dispose of their waste correctly and take pride in where they live.  It’s unfair that a minority of people think they can dump rubbish irresponsibly and leave others to clean up their mess.”