Over the last month and a half, 11 people from Blackburn with Darwen have been taken to court and fined for environmental damage, fly-tipping and pest control offences. The offences included failing to remove waste under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act as well as failing to remove waste under the Environmental Protection Act, after being served with a 14 or 28 day notice by the council. After being taken to court, the 11 litter louts were fined a combined total of £4,627, but including court costs and surcharges this increased to a whopping £7,380. The incidents of waste dumping, fly-tipping and failure to remove rubbish all took place within the last nine months.