A man from Southampton has been handed a large fine and community work for fly-tipping his commercial waste in the Wiltshire countryside.
Mr Josh Sheen from Windermere Avenue, Southampton, pleaded guilty to dumping waste in Bentley Wood, West Tytherley, Salisbury. He also failed to produce his waste transfer notes to Wiltshire Council.
Mr Sheen, who operates a waste and scrap metal clearance business, was paid £50 to collect the waste from a property in Southampton. However, instead of lawfully disposing of the waste at a licensed commercial site, he transported and dumped it in Wiltshire.
Mr Sheen has been ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £1292.74 and was given 200 hours community work.
The witness who assisted the council in convicting the offender is entitled to a reward of £100 as part of Wiltshire Council’s We’re Targeting Fly-tippers (WTF) campaign.
Cllr Nick Holder, Cabinet Member for Highways and Street Scene, said: “We’re committed to tackling fly-tipping here in Wiltshire and our Business Plan clearly outlines our zero-tolerance approach to it.
“There is no excuse for fly-tipping and this case highlights how you shouldn’t trust anyone to take your waste away without making three simple checks first.
“As we’re highlighting through our We're Targeting Fly-tippers (WTF) Stop at Source (SAS) campaign, anyone getting their waste taken away should always check the waste carriers licence, get a receipt and note the registration, make and model of the vehicle being used to take the rubbish away.
“If people’s rubbish is fly-tipped by another person, they could be issued with a fixed penalty notice or prosecuted. These three checks can help people protect themselves and help us to Stop at Source.
“I’d like to thank this resident who has played an important part in convicting this offender and I’d urge anyone who spots fly-tipping in the county to report it to us using MyWilts. When residents report fly-tipping to us, we investigate and take action which can lead to a successful prosecution.
“To ensure Mr Sheen cannot repeat his actions, we will make a representation to the Environment Agency to revoke his waste carrier’s licence.”
To find out more about how Wiltshire Council is tackling fly-tipping in Wiltshire, including more information on the reward scheme, people can visit: www.wiltshire.gov.uk/fly-tipping.
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