Leaving a load of old cardboard boxes in a back lane has cost a Plymouth woman £855.
The 32 year-old was found guilty of littering at Plymouth Magistrates Court on Tuesday. She did not attend the hearing.
The court heard how in on Monday 27 January this year, an environmental enforcement officer came across the boxes in a back lane in Keyham.
With waste collections not due in the area for a further three days, the officer inspected the waste and found a box that had the name and address of the woman. Council tax records confirmed her identity and a fixed penalty notice was issued.
The fixed penalty notice then went unpaid which led to a summons to court.
The woman was fined £220, ordered to pay costs of £603 and a victim surcharge of £32. The original fixed penalty notice was for £100.
Payment must be made within 28 days.
Councillor Sally Haydon, Cabinet member for Customer Focus and Community Safety, said: “Back lane littering and fly-tipping is one of the things that fills up my inbox.
“You wouldn’t dump things in the middle of your street, so why dump things in a back lane? It’s still the highway.
“Let this be a lesson to anyone of thinking about doing similar – we do patrol these lanes, we do check and if you’re found to be dumping things you shouldn’t, we will come after you.”
Residents who feel that they have a similar issue can request enforcement in their area here - www.plymouth.gov.uk/envirocrime