A former mayor of Blackburn has admitted fly-tipping at the town’s Witton Park the day before Bonfire Night.

Former councillor Hussain Akhtar was due to stand trial after pleading not guilty to causing the deposition of controlled waste, including wood, metal, glass, electrical items and general waste from building works.

Before the trial started, Akhtar, of Shear Bank Road, Blackburn, agreed to pay a fixed penalty of £400.

Malcolm Hope, for Blackburn with Darwen Council, which brought the prosecution, said there had been ongoing discussions between the prosecution and the defence.

He said: “The defendant has now paid a civil penalty which discharges his liability in criminal terms for this offence.

He said as well as the fixed penalty, Akhtar had also made a contribution towards the prosecution costs.

Answer Amin, who represented Akhtar, said his client had accepted an alternative to a criminal prosecution.

Akhtar had pleaded not guilty to the offence which was committed on November 4, 2021.

Previous hearings heard how the former Shear Brow and Corporation Park councillor, 77, was accused of tipping rubbish at the Witton Park bonfire on November 4, 2021.

It had been alleged a "van load of rubbish" turned up at the site, with household items dumped next to the bonfire.

He was first in court in August 2022 over the charges and was for a time suspended by the Labour Party while the proceedings went on.

At the local elections in May, Akhtar – who served as the borough’s mayor in 2016/17 – lost his seat to Independent candidate Muntazir Patel, who is part of the 4BwD group, one of a number of Labour councillors who were defeated by the group which campaigned on the issue of Gaza.