THE owner of Geno's takeaway has been prosecuted by St Helens Council for a fly-tipping offence in the town centre.

Ali Yurdakurban, who owns the Duke Street establishment, was ordered to pay a total of £757 in fines at St Helens Magistrates' Court.

CCTV footage in the early hours of August 24, 2015, captured Mr Yurdakurban and an accomplice carrying and a chest freezer cabinet and dumping it behind an empty shop unit in North John Street.

The freezer was left there allegedly to be picked up that morning by a customer of Geno's in return for a free meal, but was never collected. It was later retrieved by St Helens Council's cleansing department.

A letter was later sent to Mr Yurdakurban, summoning him to attend an interview with St Helens Council's environmental health team under caution, which he attended on October 7, 2015.

After failing to attend his first court hearing and being warned that he faced arrest if he failed to attend a second time, Mr Yurdakurban eventually pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay £370 in fines, £350 in costs and a £37 victim surcharge.

Welcoming the prosecution, St Helens Council's principal environmental health officer Mike Petersen said: "Fly-tipping is a crime St Helens Council takes very seriously and we will not hesitate to take action where it is required.

"We are very pleased with this outcome which reflects the hard work of all the teams involved and sends a message out to those thinking of fly-tipping that this sort of crime will not go unnoticed and we will be on to you."

To report fly tipping, call 676789, or visit sthelens.gov.uk/contact-us.

Alternatively, residents can report fly-tipping on the council's free mobile app which can be found by searching on 'St Helens Council' in your app store.