Dog owner fined £750 for letting pet poo all over their patio
A dog owner has been fined £750 after letting it poo all over their own garden.
Grim pictures of the resident’s backyard show the sorry state of their patio completely covered in dog muck.
Several bin bags full of rubbish, an old sofa and a mattress can also be seen strewn across overgrown foliage.
Disgusted neighbours had been complaining about the ‘rank stench’ coming from the garden for six months before the resident was finally hauled to court.
The owner, who has not been named, ignored four notices from Durham County Council to clean up the mess.
They were first served with a community protection warning last October and given a week to get rid of the faeces.
But when council officials inspected the property in Stanley, County Durham, no action had been taken and the resident was prosecuted for failing to comply with the notice to remove the waste.
The defendant did not attend court on April 19, however the case was proven in their absence, and they now have to pay £754 in fines and costs.
One neighbour said: ‘I don’t know the person involved but I know the neighbours have been getting fed-up with the smell and having to look at it all the time.
‘It’s pretty rank, especially when the weather gets warmer. You can only imagine how bad the stench will be.
‘I think everyone’s pretty happy that the council have taken action.’
Ian Hoult, council neighbourhood protection manager, added: ‘The build-up of mess in the yard was not only unsightly, but was becoming a health risk, specifically for children in the area which is unacceptable.
‘We receive almost 4,000 reports a year about untidy yards and gardens that are having a negative impact on our communities.
‘On investigation we give people the chance to rectify the problem, however we will take action against those who don’t.’
Another neighbour added: ‘If you keep pets then you have to clean up after them but at least all the mess is in their own yard and not left on the paths where kids can step in it.’
The resident has until May 17 to pay £754 or face further legal action.
Over in the US, a hoarder’s home was found buried under 10,000 empty beer cans, some of which had been refilled with urine.
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