Businessman fined £4,000 for fly-tipping on the A303

Saturday, 16 November 2024 06:05

Wiltshire Council has successfully prosecuted a Trowbridge businessman for dumping his rubbish on the A303.

Mr Mohammed Hawkar, of Wicker Hill, Trowbridge, appeared at Swindon Magistrates Court on Friday 8 November and pleaded guilty to fly-tipping rubbish on the public highway. He was fined a total of £3,950, including costs and compensation.

The court heard how the council received a report of fly-tipping in a layby off the A303, near Winterbourne Stoke, which consisted of a van-load of cardboard boxes.

The waste was traced to a business in Yeovil and the owner of the business identified the waste as his, but he explained that he had loaned his vehicle to Mr Hawkar to move furniture. The van was full of his business waste when it was taken away, but when it was returned by Mr Hawkar, it was empty.

The council’s Environment Enforcement team then traced Mr Hawkar and prosecuted him for fly-tipping the waste.

Cllr Nick Holder, Cabinet Member for Highways, Flooding and Street Scene, said: “We are committed to tackling fly-tipping in Wiltshire and as this case shows, our Environment Enforcement officers will pursue offenders as part of our zero-tolerance approach to environmental crime.

“Anyone caught fly-tipping can be ordered to pay a £1,000 fixed penalty notice or be taken to court, where they could face an unlimited fine or imprisonment.

“Our message is clear: We’re Targeting Fly-tippers in Wiltshire and we will fine or prosecute anyone caught illegally dumping rubbish in our beautiful county.”

Anyone who finds fly-tipping in Wiltshire should not touch or go through it themselves, but instead report it at: www.wiltshire.gov.uk/mywilts