Women fined for burning rubbish in her garden

Gemma Cooper was found guilty at Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court of continually disposing of controlled waste at her property on Field Drive. She was ordered to pay a total of £210, consisting of costs of £150, a £40 fine and a victim surcharge of £20.

The court heard that, in 2014, residents of Shirebrook were sent a letter by Bolsover District Council, advising them not to burn rubbish. But two years later, council officers and police found Mrs Cooper overseeing a large fire in her garden. The contents, which included household waste such as food, paper, cardboard, tins, plastic, wood and bin-liners, created noxious fumes in a built-up area.

When interviewed, Mrs Cooper admitted she had not only burnt rubbish on her land but had also allowed others to do so. The council then discovered that firefighters had been called out to her home eight times inside four months.

The council’s Cabinet member for the environment, Coun Brian Murray-Carr, said: “She was given plenty of warning, but continued to break the law and cause problems for neighbours by setting fires. This case demonstrates our commitment to dealing with the problem of burning waste.”