North East Lincolnshire Council successfully prosecuted two fly-tippers for dumping rubbish illegally after they were caught on CCTV.
In one hearing, Steven Vines, 34, of Tunnard Street, Grimsby, pleaded guilty to an offence under the Environmental Protection Act.
He was seen on CCTV arriving at Garibaldi Street car park in a black Mazda on 18 January 2020.
Vines and an unknown man dumped rubbish including a large cardboard box, a black bin bag and a carrier bag next to the car park recycling bins.
They returned to the car park about 20 minutes later and dumped more rubbish before driving away.
The car was traced to Jessica Hann, 29, of Tunnard Street, Grimsby. Although Hann was not in the car at the time of the offences, she was fined at an earlier hearing because her car was used to fly-tip waste illegally. At that hearing, Hann was fined £200, ordered to pay a £32 victim surcharge and £202 costs, making a total of £434.
After tracing the car, an environmental enforcement officer visited the address and identified Vines from the CCTV footage.
Vines was invited to attend a voluntary interview to mitigate his circumstances but failed to attend.
Environmental enforcement officers sent Vines a fixed penalty notice for £400 on 18 August 2020. An officer visited again on 8 December 2020 but Hann made it clear they would not pay and would not attend court.
Vines did not attend court when his case was originally listed and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
He appeared at Grimsby Magistrates’ Court on 23 July 2021 and was fined £70. The Magistrates considered the fact that his partner Hann had already been fined and looked at the income/outgoings of the household. The fine was ordered to be paid at £5 a week.
Boxing Day fly-tip
In the second hearing, Scott Shreeve, 31, of Yarborough Road, Grimsby, pleaded guilty to two fly-tipping offences at Garibaldi Street car park on Boxing Day 2018 and Boxing Day 2019.
In the first incident, CCTV identified Shreeve emptying rubbish from the boot of his black Renault Megane next to the car park recycling bins.
Exactly a year later, he was again captured on CCTV dumping rubbish from a red Ford Focus.
Shreeve admitted the offences when he was interviewed under caution on 25 June 2020.
He was given a Fixed Penalty Notice in order to discharge his liability and avoid appearing in court, but he failed to pay within the specified time.
Shreeve was fined £515 at the rate of £25 per week. No order was made for costs.
Cllr Ron Shepherd, portfolio holder for safer and stronger communities at North East Lincolnshire Council, said:
“If you fly-tip in North East Lincolnshire we will fine you.
“It costs the area’s taxpayers tens of thousands of pounds each year to clean up rubbish people have dumped illegally.
“Posters or signs at all our recycling banks give clear warnings about CCTV and the implications of leaving waste next to the bins.
“In both these cases, the rubbish could have been taken to the tip for free, there was absolutely no need to dump it in a car park.
“Both offenders had the opportunity to pay a fixed penalty notice for the offences, but both failed to do so and ended up in court.”
Report fly-tipping at www.nelincs.gov.uk/flytipping.
Garibaldi Street bring to recycling bank was removed in January 2020 due to excessive fly-tipping.
Environmental enforcement action
Successful court prosecutions since 1 April 2021:
- Washing machine fly-tipped at Garibaldi Street car park on 18 May 2019. In court 30 April 2021. Fine £325, costs £358 and VSC £32
- Car used in two fly-tips committed on 18 May 2020 at Garibaldi Street car park bring to site. In court 12 July 2021. Fine £100 for each offence, costs £202 and VSC £32
- Van used in fly-tipping offence committed 29 March 2020 at Waltham Road recycling banks. In court 2 July 2021. Fine £150, costs £404.33, VSC £32
- Glass table top and other items fly-tipped at Garibaldi Street car park on 18 May 2019. In court 2 July 2021. Fine £215, costs £250, VSC £30
- Household waste fly-tipped on 26 and 27 December 2019 at Garibaldi Street car park. In court 8 July 2021 (arrested on a warrant). Fine £200 for each offence, costs £424, VSC £32
- Waste in garden Hainton Avenue. In court 23 July 2021. The court fined the two owners £770 each, imposed a victim surcharge of £77, and ordered them to pay costs of £100, making a total of £947 each.
- Household waste fly-tipped on 18 May 2020 at Garibaldi Street car park. In court 23 July 2021. Fine £70.
- Household waste fly-tipped on 26 December 2018 and 26 December 2019 at Garibaldi Street car park. In court 23 July 2021. Fine £515. No order was made for costs.
Fixed Penalty Notices given since 1 April 2021 for fly-tipping and related offences
- 3 x Failing to give Waste to an Authorised Waste Carrier
- 4 x Failing to Produce Waste Transfer Notes
- 6 x Fly-tipping
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