Nightmare Kettering neighbours hit with hefty fine

Piper Corstin, 31, and Christopher Johnson, 27, both of Pytchley Road, ignored repeated warnings about their behaviour from Kettering Council, police and fire crews.

They run ‘Mr and Mrs all round van services’, a business clearing houses and sheds, moving goods and removing rubbish.

But over a 12-month period any items they couldn't flog were burnt in bonfires at their property in a residential area rather than being correctly disposed of. They also failed to provide waste transfer notices to customers.

Northampton Magistrates' Court heard Johnson also threatened fire crews, including on Christmas Day last year. They had to attend the property with police back up on several occasions because of his behaviour.

Callouts to their home have cost the taxpayer an estimated £20,000.

Johnson and Corstin were formally warned to stop burning waste several times before being issued a community protection notice in September, ordering them to cease their anti-social behaviour.

But they breached it multiple times and Kettering Council instigated legal proceedings against them. Earlier this month they were found guilty of breaching the notice and environmental requirements.

Magistrates handed them both a criminal behaviour order (CBO) and fined them a total of £10,020.

The CBO requires them to co-operate with seven strict conditions that limit the impact of their behaviour on the community and public services. Failure to meet those conditions can result in a prison sentence of up to five years and a further £5,000 fine.

Shirley Plenderleith, Kettering Council's head of public services, said: "By attempting to carry out their business in this fashion, the defendants repeatedly flouted the law and impacted on the health and wellbeing of the local community.

"Any breach of the court order will see them back before the courts. The public must be aware that if they use a third party to dispose of their waste then they must use a licensed waste carrier and obtain a waste transfer note when having items removed and disposed of.

"Failure to do so may mean that you can be held liable for fly-tipping or any other waste offences, if your waste is found to have been disposed of illegally.”