Two Ross residents have discovered just how expensive leaving litter in the wrong place can be.

A 45-year-old Ross woman has been given a conditional discharge after admitting failing to ensure her household waste was properly collected and a Ross man has been fined £150 after admitting flytipping. Both cases were brought by Herefordshire Council.

Kizzie Victoria Gunn, 21, of 2 Liskeard Cottages, Ross, admitted an offence under Section 34 (2A) and (6) of failing to take reasonable measures to ensure household waste was disposed of by an authorised person.

Mike Jones, prosecuting for Herefordshire Council, told Hereford Magistrates Court on Friday, May 14th that Miss Gunn had vacated her old address and left household waste in black bags outside the property even though she knew it would be several days before it would be collected.

Reports of flytipping were then received with six black bags containing documents relating to Miss Gunn found in Brampton Abbotts and Bridstow.

Miss Gunn, representing herself, said she should have asked someone to take the bags to the tip for her.

She was given a conditional discharge for six months and ordered to pay £50 costs.

Shane Hancock, Herefordshire Council's acting regulatory services manager, said: "Many people do not realise it is an offence to leave household waste outside their homes unless it is due to be collected on the same day.

"In this case, we do not know how the bags got from Ross to Brampton Abbotts and Bridstow but I hope people will realise that they are responsible for ensuring their own household waste does not end up being flytipped.

Paul Simon Lawrence, of 64 Waterside, admitted depositing six black bags of household waste in woodland near Weston-under-Penyard when he appeared at Hereford Magistrates Court on the same day, Friday, May 14th.

Mike Jones, prosecuting on behalf of Herefordshire Council, told magistrates that a report of flytipping was received by the council's community protection team and officers went out to investigate. Among the bags, they found items identifying the defendant and at later interview he admitted the offence.

He was fined £150 and ordered to pay £100 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

Lawrence, representing himself, told the court he was sorry he had done it.

Shane Hancock, Herefordshire Council's acting regulatory services manager, said: "We are fortunate to live in a beautiful county and actions such as flytipping cause a huge blight on the environment.

"The community protection team has been set up to tackle all aspects of environmental crime and we will not hesitate to prosecute where we find the culprits.

"I hope this serves as a warning to other people who may be tempted to dump their rubbish in the countryside rather than leaving it for collection by the council's household waste operatives or else taking it to a household waste site," he added.