A family has been fined £200 after DIY and garden waste was found strewn around town’s housing estate.

Breckland Council imposed a fine after waste from garden improvements, left on a communal green, was discovered around the Abbey Estate.

The waste, including DIY waste and wooden planks, was initially reported to the council as fly-tipping after they were found discarded during anti-social incidents.

The enforcement team investigated and discovered “unknown third parties” were involved in scattering the waste across the green space and rough boundary greens near Durham Way in August.

After interviewing the original waste owners, it was confirmed that they had conducted garden improvements during the lockdown period and had left the unsecured items out behind their boundary fence on the communal green.

A fixed penalty notice was set at £200, rising to £300 if unpaid within 28 days, under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Gordon Bambridge, Breckland’s executive member for environmental and public protection, said: “Being negligent in the disposal of waste is an offence, and this household failed to consider the health and safety impact of their waste being discarded on land used by other members of the public.

“This led to their waste being strewn over the estate, which affects the whole community.

“We are reaching out to those affected in the community to help us address littering, fly-tipping and other forms of anti-social behaviour.

“Later this month we will be sending a community letter out that will assure all residents that this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated and that we will use all of our enforcement powers to discourage it.”

Breckland residents who see littering or fly tipping are asked to report it at https://breckland.gov.uk/reportit .