In three of the cases the waste became home to rodents. The court penalties followed five successful prosecutions brought by Blackburn with Darwen Council,. They followed neighbours complaining about mounting rubbish – with front and rear gardens and back alleys being used as dumping grounds for rotting waste. The defendants were summonsed to appear before Blackburn Magistrates last month after ignoring calls to take action by the council. Brittany Lea Walker of Whinney Lane, Blackburn; Russell Holden of Ennerdale Avenue, Blackburn; Stephen Duerden of New Bank Road, Blackburn; and Sylvia Holmes New Chapel Street, Blackburn, were each ordered to pay £1,046 each after failing to comply with requests to remove their waste.