Newcastle City Council
Man burned his bed outside his home - but it caused traffic CHAOS as it quickly grew out of control
The 22-year-old has now been ordered to pay for cost of the fire brigade having to come out
Ian JohnsonMultimedia Journalist
(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
Cars were forced to dodge black smoke after it engulfed a busy road.
The culprit was Aiden Carr, whose decision to burn his bed caused traffic chaos.
The 22-year-old - who lives yards from the A1 - has now been forced to pay the fire brigade's bill for extinguishing the Brunswick blaze.
And Newcastle Magistrates' Court heard he illegally burned his rubbish - despite living near the tip.
However Carr told Newcastle Magistrates' Court: "I didn't think it was that bad personally."
But Newcastle City Council prosecuted him for the incident last June 6.
"The fire was very large and the smoke was causing a problem for passing traffic," claimed council prosecutor Joanne Bagshaw.
The disgusting pile of fly-tipped rubbish removed from Newcastle's streets in just FIVE hours
"Drivers were having to slow down to safely pass along the highway."
The defendant had torched rubbish, including his divan, outside his then Beaumont Terrace home rather then ditch them legally at the nearby Brunswick tip.
But within moments "large plumes of smoke" were billowing out - and the police were called.
"He said he was responsible for the fire but was just burning rubbish." added the prosecutor, who said the smoke had an "acrid taste".
"Clearly there was treated wood and fabric being burned from the divan bed."
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Carr - now of Fenham - pleaded guilty submitting controlled waste to listed operation likely to cause pollution or harm to human health.
He also admitted causing danger or annoyance to highway users by lighting a fire.
Unemployed Carr represented himself at the hearing, and claimed he started the fire after realising he'd struggle to get the hefty goods to the tip.
"I don't drive and there was a lot of wood there," said Carr, now of Beaconsfield Street.
But he added: "I put my hands up."
However the Universal Credit recipient has now been slapped with a hefty bill for his gaffe.
He's been ordered to pay £200 compensation after Tyne and Wear Fire Brigade were forced to come out.
And he's also been slapped with a £320 fine, as well as being ordered to pay the council's costs for prosecuting him.
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Newcastle Magistrates' Court
Fenham