A TAKEAWAY owner who left bags of rubbish for rats to gnaw outside a football ground has been hit with a fine of more than £400.

Waste from Basharat Ali's Burnley business was discovered by Pendle Council’s environmental team fly-tipped at the entrance to Nelson Football Ground at Victoria Park on Lomeshaye Way.

It was traced to the Lal Qila takeaway on Parker Lane in Burnley, which he owns.

Mr Ali was given penalties amounting to £409 for not having the legally-required ‘Duty of Care’ documents for the business waste discovered.

Last month at Burnley Magistrates’ Court he pleaded guilty to failing to produce the paperwork necessary to prove he disposes of his waste legally.

He was ordered to pay a total of £409, a fine of £184, costs of £195 and a £30 victim surcharge.

David Alexander, Pendle Borough’s senior environmental crime officer, said: “The bags contained food waste and packaging which linked the fly- tipping to Lal Qila takeaway.

“Rats had been gnawing at the contents and half eaten contents were strewn along the roadside. It was absolutely disgusting.”

Cllr David Whipp, Pendle Council’s neighbourhood services boss, said: “We’ve had a spate of fast food waste bags being dumped at the football club and thanks to our investigations and this prosecution they have now stopped.

“We found that the owner of Lal Qila did not have the Duty of Care documentation to prove that he was legally and safely disposing of his trade waste.

“The evidence our officers found showed that his firm’s rubbish was being dumped in Pendle.”

Mr Alexander said:“All businesses in the UK must have legal documents to show that they have a plan in place to safely dispose of their rubbish.

“Pendle Council offers a trade waste service.

“There is absolutely no excuse for fly-tipping.”

Councillor Whipp said:“Local people can help us sort out the problem of fly-tipping which is both unsightly and can pose a threat to health and to wildlife.

“We take environmental crime seriously and people can report incidents on www.pendle.gov.uk/envirocrime or by calling 01282 661743 .

The Lal Qila takeaway closed following a large fire inside the premises on December 23, 2016 and still remains boarded up.