Crime Solicitors

Durham City Council is warning that more people than ever are “paying the price” for committing environmental crimes – from dog fouling to fly tipping.

The council says that in Durham, latest figures show that 683 people were issued fixed penalty notices between April 1 and October 31, 2015, for a range of offences – from failing to clear up dog mess to carrying waste without the correct licence.

The council is warning that fixed penalty notices can be as much as £300, depending on the offence – although this will be reduced if paid within 10 days. If a fixed penalty notice is not paid within 14 days of being issued, a reminder letter will be sent.

However, if the charge remains unpaid within a further 14 days of the reminder letter, the case will be referred for prosecution at a magistrates' court – which could result in a fine of up to £5,000 upon conviction.

Durham Council’s Neighbourhood Protection Manager, Ian Hoult, said:

"We work with police and other agencies as well as communities to improve our environment and promote safer communities – and are committed to tackling those issues that affect many people, such as anti-social behaviour.

"While enforcement is always a last resort, anyone caught committing environmental crimes should be warned – you will pay the price.”

The figures reveal that 312 investigations linked to dog fouling were launched in the seven-month period from April to October, resulting in 88 warning letters, 42 fixed penalty notices and one prosecution.

More than 1,100 stray dogs were also reported – and almost 700 were passed into the care of kennels.

There were also 40 littering prosecutions and more 500 fixed penalties for littering.

The council also says that a total of 3,767 fly tipping incidents were reported and as part of Operation Stop It – the council's multi-agency crackdown on waste crime, which has seen a 31% fall in fly tipping since its launch.

The council has deployed covert cameras on 170 occasions – and 25 fly tipping incidents were caught on CCTV, with 116 investigations launched and 47 people prosecuted.

The campaign also resulted in 98 waste carriers being stopped and checked, to make sure they had the proper documents for the waste they were carrying – however, a total of 37 were issued with a notice (known as a producer) requiring them to provide the correct paperwork. A total of 25 fixed penalty notices were also issued – and there were 14 prosecutions and two criminal behaviour orders, said the council.

Duncan Lewis Crime Lawyers

Duncan Lewis crime lawyers can advise at any stage of a charge for environmental crimes such as fly tipping, dumping waste, not having the correct carrier licence, polluting watercourses or land, misuse of permitted land, and fisheries offences.

There are Duncan Lewis offices nationwide and a Duncan Lewis criminal defence solicitor can attend interviews with prosecuting authorities or advise before charges are brought.

For expert legal advice on environmental offences, call Duncan Lewis crime lawyers on 0333 772 0409.

For 24/7 help at a police station, call the Duncan Lewis 24-Hour Emergency Helpline on 0333 772 0607.