Crackdown on Rossendale law breakers

Rossendale Council’s public protection team has successfully brought prosecutions against several people accused of various crimes recently.

Two residents were prosecuted and fined for abandoning cars in Rossendale in separate incidents.

Daniel Barry of Crawshawbooth and Lauren Anderson of Whitworth were found guilty in their absence at Burnley Magistrates and were ordered to pay over £1,000 each.

The court heard Anderson’s Vauxhall Vectra was left on Shed Street, Whitworth with no tax or MOT in an abandoned state on or around 30th November 2018.

Barry’s Volvo V70 Estate was abandoned on a car park adjacent to Foxhill Drive, Rossendale on or around November 2nd 2018.

Both were served 7 day notices to remove the vehicles but failed to do so. Fixed penalty notices were also served in both cases which went unpaid.

The pair were convicted of failing to adhere to Section 2 of the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978.

Both were fined £660, ordered to pay £150 legal costs, £420 investigation costs and £150 compensation.

In another case, a rogue landlord was fined for failing to maintain his property.

Matthew Hartley of Bacup Road, Cliviger was fined over £1000 after being found guilty in his absence at Burnley Magistrates.

The court heard that Hartley failed to comply with a requirement imposed by an abatement notice to ensure a sufficient supply of hot water was available at a property he owned and rented out in Rawtenstall.

He was convicted of failing to adhere to Section 80(4) and (5) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and fined £770 fine with £400 costs.

Phil Morton, Public Protection Manager, said:

I welcome the court’s tough penalties in these cases and hope that they serve as a warning to others. We are willing to work with people but will not hesitate to take enforcement action if informal action fails.