AN Oswaldtwistle woman was hit with a bill for more than £700 after refusing to clean up rubbish in her back yard.

Council enforcement officers visited Gemma Proctor’s home, in New Lane, after receiving complaints about the rubbish in her garden.

After a notice ordering the 28-year-old to clean up the rubbish was ignored, Hyndburn Council took her to court.

Proctor was convicted, in her absence, of failing to remove refuse from her property, in accordance with the requirements of an abatement notice.

She was fined £100, with a £25 victim surcharge, and ordered to pay costs of £657.

Deputy leader of Hyndburn Council, Coun Clare Pritchard, said: “We won’t tolerate this kind of anti-social blight, and will always prosecute people who fail to clean up their mess.

“We gave Ms Proctor plenty of chances to get the rubbish removed but, unfortunately, she chose not to do so, leaving us no option but to remove the rubbish ourselves, and take her to court.”