A shop owner in Anfield has been handed a hefty bill of over £1,600 for repeatedly placing furniture and household items on a residential street between July and December last year, blocking part of the highway. Elliott James of Belmont Drive in L6 failed to appear in court for the hearing on 23 January, where he was found guilty of depositing items on Rocky Lane. A prosecution was brought by the Council under Section 137(1) of the Highways Act 1980, resulting in a fine of £660, with an added victim surcharge of £700. The Council brought the prosecution with the backing of its Environmental Crime Enforcement Team, which patrols the streets daily to educate local communities on proper waste management and investigate environmental crimes.
The team has a working relationship with Merseyside Police and also checks waste carriers to ensure that they are disposing of waste correctly and have the proper license to do so. In light of their success, the team is set to double in size in the near future to provide more capacity to work with residents and businesses to prevent future fly-tipping or littering. The Council is considering appointing a new partner to work with the task force to increase awareness of proper waste disposal and address dog fouling and illegal dumping.
Councillor Laura Robertson-Collins, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, spoke out against James’ behavior, stating: “Mr James repeatedly placed furniture and large household items on a residential street, blighting the area and causing inconvenience and nuisance to people using the footway. This type of behavior is completely unacceptable, and the action we have taken outlines our determination to prosecute when we have the necessary evidence.” Robertson-Collins added: “We know residents are sick and tired of people abusing our streets and often using them as a dumping ground, and we are committed to stamping it out.” Residents have been vocal in acknowledging the issue of littering and fly-tipping and the Council’s measures are designed to bring an end to this kind of salutary behavior
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