THREE home owners who let rubbish pile up in their gardens have been fined.

In one case, a Sheepridge woman allowed up to 20 binbags of rubbish pile up in her garden, but failed to put any of them out for collection by the Kirklees refuse team.

Now the council has taken action, saying while it may be draconian, it’s a health hazard.

Prosecutor Sarah Swarbrick outlined the case against three Huddersfield people.

The case against them was found proven when photographic evidence was handed to the courts. The offenders are: Christopher Bolton of Manchester Road, Longroyd Bridge, Hayley Spink, of Belle Vue Avenue, Sheepridge and Yolanda Senior of Pateley Crescent, Fartown.

Ms Swarbrick outlined the case against Bolton, saying: “It may sound draconian but it’s in an area where people have contacted the council with concerns.

“The occupier had not been taking his rubbish out for collection and it was accumulating in the garden which is a shared garden.

“A council officer requested he put his bins out and take them back on specific days. But there continued to be an accumulation and the waste was on the footpath an excess on top of the bins and the rest in the yard.”

On August 23 last year Bolton was charged with two offences of failing to put his rubbish out for collection.

He failed to attend court yesterday and magistrates found the case against him proven.

Bolton must now pay a £175 fine, £180 curt costs and a £15 victim surcharge – £360 in total.

Yolanda Senior, of Fartown, was also charged with letting rubbish pile up outside her home.

A Kirklees Council environmental officer visited the property and saw piles of rubbish on the land, belonging to Senior. She was issued with a Section 92 order of the Environment Protection Act (EPA) which required her to remove the rubbish.

But Senior failed to do so and after a further visit on November 28 last year the council decided to take action for non-compliance.

She was issued with a fixed penalty notice (FPN) of £60 which rises to £100 but Senior failed to pay up.

Now she faces a £350 fine, £355 court costs and a £15 victim surcharge – £720 in total.

Sheepridge woman Hayley Spink was said to have had up to 20 bin bags full of rubbish piled up in her garden.

An estate manager at Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing made attempts to get her to move them but checks last October and November found she had failed to comply with a Section 46 (EPA) order to present her bins for emptying.

Spink failed to pay a fixed penalty notice of £60 and now faces a £175 fine, £295 court costs and a £15 victim surcharge – £385 in total.

All have 28 days to pay the fines before a collection order comes into force.

A spokeswoman for Kirklees Council said: “The gardens were all cleared of waste in default, but two were done by the in-house team and the charge was absorbed within the council’s normal costs.

“Ms Senior’s waste however was such that an external contractor had to be brought in and that is why the charge is listed separately.

“We investigate on a single complaint, and deal with each case on its individual circumstance. Everyone is given a number of opportunities to comply with requests to clear waste.

“If they do not comply they may be served with a notice. If the notice to clear the waste is not complied with there would be further action (ie. removal of waste and an FPN). The matter would only be taken to court after the FPN has not been paid”.