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Flyposter is pasted with huge court bill
Andrew Brightwell
A NUISANCE flyposter has been ordered to pay the council's costs for taking him to court.
District Judge James Henderson last week ordered Tim Horrox, managing director of Diabolical Liberties, to pay Camden Council £46,000.
In a landmark case in March, Judge Henderson issued Mr Horrox with an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) banning him and his firm from flyposting in the borough.
And last Tuesday he agreed with the council's claims Mr Horrox should pay the costs of the town hall's lengthy legal battle.
Councillor John Thane said: "We are delighted by the judge's decision to award court costs. This vindicates Camden Council's decision to seek Asbos against company executives who arrange flyposting, and the time and effort the council puts in to achieve a positive outcome.
"Our belief that taxpayers should not foot the bill for flyposting was at the very heart of our decision to use Asbos against flyposters in the first place.
"Before we used Asbos, it cost our taxpayers £250,000 a year to clean up flyposting and prosecute offenders. Now flyposting has reduced by 95 per cent in the borough. We have recouped our costs from this court case and reduced the taxpayers' bill to virtually nil."
Camden officers found out who was responsible for flyposting at the company by phoning up pretending to be interested in using its services.
In March when Mr Horrox received his Asbo, three other employees of the firm, James Heighway, Dominic Murphy and Anna McAree made an undertaking not to flypost in the borough.
Pete Strange is the manager of Camden Council's boulevard scheme to improve pavements. He said: "This is a positive result for Camden and establishes an important principle: that a managing director can be held responsible for anti-social behaviour, thereby getting behind the corporate veil that has for too long enabled unscrupulous organisations and individuals to evade existing laws.
"We hope other local authorities will now take the opportunity to follow Camden's lead by using Asbos to target flyposters and others who commit anti-social behaviour. We can offer other local authorities assistance in preparing their cases and this result should alleviate their concerns about the cost."
Mr Horrox declined to comment.
andrew.brightwell@hamhigh.co.uk
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