Dog poo & rubbish in garden sees Natalie Hixon hit with £1,000 fine from Folkestone & Hythe District Council

A woman who failed to clean up her act was given a fine of more than £1,000 after letting dog poo and rubbish pile up in her garden. Natalie Hixon was taken to court after the stench of the mess started affecting people living nearby.

Folkestone & Hythe District Council said Hixon, of Folkestone, Kent, was warned about the mess and cleared some of it, but failed to remove the dog poo. A picture shows garden furniture strewn about, with muck visible on the floor and on a barbeque.

She was taken to court last month and convicted of breaching a community order in her absence, the council said. As well as being fined £660, she was ordered to pay £180 costs and a £264 victim surcharge - a total of £1,104 - at Margate Magistrates' Court.

Following the conviction, Cllr Polly Blakemore said: “Prosecutions are always a last resort. But action will be taken when people’s quality of life is being impacted by inconsiderate behaviour such as this.”

The council added that residents experiencing any anti-social activity – including fly-tipping incidents for clearing up and investigation – can report it "quickly and easily" by visiting their website.

What is anti-social behaviour?

Folkestone & Hythe District Council say anti-social behaviour can cover "everything from litter to aggressive dogs, vandalism to noisy neighbours and public drunkenness to noisy vehicles". However they explain it generally falls into one of three categories.

Personal anti-social behaviour targets a particular individual or specific group rather than affecting the whole community, while nuisance anti-social behaviour involves causing trouble, annoyance, inconvenience, offence or suffering to people in the local community in general.

Hixon's case likely falls into the third category - environmental. This is when the actions of a person impact on natural, built and social environments.

The new Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 offers powers to authorities to tackle anti-social behaviour. These included civil injunctions, Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBO), previously known as Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs), Public Space Protection Orders, closure powers, community triggers, and community remedies.