Dozens of residents in an East Lancashire borough were fined or prosecuted over their failure to dispose of rubbish properly including fly-tipping over the Christmas and New Year break.

Burnley Council's environment boss Cllr Howard Baker has given a report to his fellow councillors on the authority's enforcement action figures from November 2023 to January 2024.

In it, he tells them: "The council’s education and enforcement officers continue to proactively work within the borough, reacting to fly-tipping intelligence reports and liaising with the council’s waste and cleansing contractor.

"Over the festive period officers focused on pro-active engagement work with residents in areas where recycling participation can be improved.

"Officers have been working across the borough’s wards and advising on ‘what’ and ‘how’ to recycle, to help residents to reduce and create more space in their refuse bins."

During the last two months of 2023, the following waste enforcement actions were taken across the borough:

  • 20 individuals prosecuted for waste offences;
  • 15 individuals have been scheduled to attend a formal interview at the town Hall for continually presenting excess waste; and
  • 23 individuals have been summoned to attend Burnley Magistrates Court in early 2024.

Alongside this, Council officers have also issued the following:

  • 49 fixed penalty notices for fly tipping and incorrect waste presentation offences;
  • 153 fixed penalty notices for littering and minor waste offences; and
  • six fixed penalty notices for dog foul/dog exclusion.