Man ordered to pay almost £1,000 after waste he paid ‘random man’ to dispose of was fly-tipped

A Fairstead man has been ordered to pay almost £1,000 after the waste he paid a stranger to dispose of was fly-tipped in Clenchwarton.Joshua Colman, of Eastfields, admitted failing to check that the items would be disposed of by a properly-licensed carrier when he appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.The court heard that the offence took place on June 26 last year, with the waste dumped on Hall Road in Clenchwarton.

Magistrates ordered Colman to pay £345 in compensation to cover the cost of removing the waste, £500 in court costs, a £100 fine and a £40 victim surcharge.The case was brought against him by West Norfolk Council, which is responsible for clearing fly-tipping from the highway and council-owned land. Following the successful prosecution, Cllr Sandra Squire, cabinet member for environment and coastal, said: “Fly-tipping is a blight on our beautiful countryside.

“It is ugly, expensive to remove and, depending on what is in the waste, can release dangerous chemicals into the ground and watercourses.“It is frustrating, too, as most of the waste that is dumped could have been taken to a tip free of charge. Most fly-tippers can’t even say that they couldn’t get it there as they have often driven somewhere to dump their rubbish.“As Mr Colman has learned today, it also isn’t good enough to pay a random person to get rid of it and hope for the best – householders have a legal duty to check who is taking their rubbish and how they will dispose of it.“Whether we issue a fixed-penalty notice or prosecute we will always take action against fly-tippers we can identify – and people would be surprised how often we can identify them. It goes to show that it really is #cheaperatthetip when it comes to getting rid of rubbish.”

West Norfolk Council has issued the following advice to householders who have rubbish to dispose of: – Suspect all waste carriers. Don’t let them take your rubbish until they provide proof of registration. Note their vehicle’s registration plate.- Check that a waste carrier is registered on the Environment Agency’s website. – Refuse any unexpected offers to have your rubbish taken away.- Ask how your rubbish will be disposed of – seek evidence of this.- Paperwork must be obtained: a proper invoice, waste transfer note or receipt, including a description of the waste being removed and the waste carrier’s contact details.