Heaton Park fly-tipper ordered to pay over three grand for clean-up amidst green space concerns

A Newcastle fly-tipper has been fined over three grand for dumping a heap of rubbish in Heaton Park, leaving a charity with a massive clean-up bill.

Mohammed Shabuddin Ramzan, 31, from High Heaton dumped cardboard boxes, carpet, a wooden table, packaging and cushions in the park last July.

The incident was immediately reported to Newcastle City Council and Urban Green Newcastle who had to pay £180 to have the fly-tipping waste safely removed.

Last week, Ramzan pleaded guilty to one count of fly-tipping at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court and was fined £1,246 as well as being ordered to pay costs of £702.60, £180.25 in compensation and £498 in victim surcharge.

The court heard Ramzan was not proud of his actions and accepted he should be punished for committing the offence.

Christine Herriot, Director of Operations and Regulatory Services at Newcastle City Council, said: “These kind of waste offences blight our communities and pose a serious risk to the public, animals and the environment.

“We are proud of our city. It is an attractive place to live, work and visit and we will do everything in our power to keep it that way.”

A spokesperson for Urban Green Newcastle said: “Last year we had to spend roughly £10,000 on skips due to litter that wasn’t properly disposed of and had to be picked by our rangers and volunteers.

“That means less money to spend making improvements to the city’s green spaces for everyone to enjoy.

“We encourage park users to come forward with reports of fly-tipping so that we can remove them quickly and reduce the impact on Newcastle’s parks and wildlife.”

To report incidents of fly-tipping, call the council on 0191 278 7878 and ask for environmental health or email [email protected].

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