Photo above: Irwell Street.
Main photo: Salisbury Street
Two Halton residents have recently been convicted of environment crime in separate prosecutions brought by the Council.
Sergui Pitigoi of Salisbury Street, Widnes, was convicted at Warrington Magistrates’ Court after black refuse sacks, garden waste and drainpipes were found dumped on land behind his property on 2 April 2025.
An investigation by the Council’s Community Safety & Protection Enforcement Team revealed that Mr Pitigoi failed to cooperate with inquiries. He was invited to attend an interview under caution to explain any involvement in the waste deposit but did not respond.
Subsequently, the Council issued a Section 108 Notice under the Environment Act 1995, requiring him to attend a recorded interview in July. This notice placed a legal obligation on Mr Pitigoi to comply, and failure to do so without reasonable cause could lead to prosecution. Despite this, he again failed to attend, hindering the investigation.
The case proceeded to court, where Mr Pitigoi neither attended nor submitted a plea. The hearing was conducted in his absence, and he was found guilty of the offence. He received a criminal record, a fine of £220, a victim surcharge of £88, and was ordered to pay the Council’s investigation costs of £287, bringing the total to £595.
Alana Marie Schofield of Irwell Street, Widnes, was convicted at Warrington Magistrates’ Court after a leather sofa was found dumped behind her property on 6 March 2025.
The sofa had previously been seen in the back yard of her property. Despite being given the opportunity to remove it and avoid further action, Miss Schofield failed to comply. As a result, the Council’s Community Safety & Protection Enforcement Team issued a Section 108 Notice under the Environment Act 1995, requiring her to attend an interview under caution.
This legal notice placed an obligation on her to provide information regarding the incident, and failure to attend without reasonable cause could lead to prosecution. Miss Schofield did not attend the interview, hindering the investigation.
The case proceeded to court, where Miss Schofield neither attended nor submitted a plea. The hearing was conducted in her absence, and she was found guilty of the offence. She received a criminal record, a fine of £220, a victim surcharge of £88, and was ordered to pay the Council’s investigation costs of £391, bringing the total to £699.
Cllr Andrea Wall, Halton Borough Council’s Executive Board member for Community Safety, says: “These successful prosecutions demonstrate Halton Borough Council’s ongoing commitment to tackling fly-tipping and protecting local communities from environmental crime.
“It brings the total number of convictions for similar offences to 7 since April, and we have several additional cases currently progressing through the courts, or in preparation, as we continue our efforts to protect local communities and maintain clean, safe public spaces.”