Cumberland Council has successfully prosecuted an individual for abandoning a vehicle, resulting in fines and costs totalling £1,700.
The case was heard at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court after Mr Ruddick refused to pay a £200 Fixed Penalty Notice issued by the council’s enforcement team for abandoning a vehicle.
Following court proceedings, Mr Ruddick was sentenced to pay a £1,000 fine, £300 in costs and a £400 victim surcharge, bringing the total penalty to £1,700.
Cumberland Councillor Denise Rollo, Executive Member for Sustainable, Resilient and Connected Places, said:
“Vehicle abandonment is a serious environmental offence that can blight neighbourhoods, create safety hazards and place an unnecessary burden on public resources. Cumberland Council will always investigate reports of environmental crime and take enforcement action where appropriate. Refusing to engage or pay a Fixed Penalty Notice can lead to significantly higher penalties, as this case demonstrates.
“We encourage residents to act responsibly and to report environmental crimes when they see them. By working together, we can help keep our communities clean, safe and welcoming for everyone.”
Anyone who witnesses environmental crime is urged to report it via the council’s website:
https://www.cumberland.gov.uk/bins-recycling-and-street-cleaning/street-cleaning