A man from Friday Bridge and a woman from Parson Drove have been fined nearly £800 between them after rubbish they had paid to be cleared was found fly tipped in the countryside.
A third person, from Wisbech, has been given a £300 fixed penalty notice for dumping her old sofa on a pavement.
“Householders must remember they can be penalised if they employ someone to dispose of their waste which is then fly tipped, so they should always use a licensed waste carrier,” said Cllr Peter Murphy, Fenland Council’s cabinet holder for the environment.
“If people exercise their duty of care, it reduces the chance of waste ending up in the hands of those who would fly-tip it and helps to put illegal fly-tippers out of business.”
Fenland District Council said they took both the Friday Bridge man and the Parson Drove woman to court.
Both defendants admitted failing in their duty of care to ensure their waste was disposed of legally, by an authorised waste carried licensed by the Environment Agency.
“In one incident, several black bags filled with household waste and nappies was dumped in Friday Bridge,” said a council spokesperson.
“In the other, items including a clothes airer and baskets, a kitchen waste bin and children’s toys and bikes, was dumped in Wisbech.
“Fenland District Council investigated both incidents and evidence found among the rubbish linked it back to the householders.”
At Peterborough magistrates’ court in December, the man from Wisbech was fined a total of £657 for failing in his duty of care, and the woman from Parson Drove was fined £102.
The council said the woman issued with a fixed penalty fine has now paid it.
Cllr Murphy said: “Fly-tipping is a criminal offence which damages the environment, risks public health, and costs taxpayers’ money to clean up.
“Unfortunately, fly-tippers often target households via social media or local advertising, luring customers in with cheap rates to dispose of unwanted furniture, building rubble or garden waste.
Handy Tips from Fenland District Council
Check a waste carrier’s licence:
Residents can easily check whether someone is a licensed waste carrier on the Environment Agency website. Alternatively, contact the Environment Agency on 03708 506 506 and ask for a free instant Waste Carrier Validation Check.
Householders or businesses caught using unlicensed waste carriers to dispose of their rubbish can be issued with Fixed Penalty Notices of up to £400 if they failed to take reasonable steps to determine the person that took their waste was authorised to do so. Failure to pay may result in court action where fines can be much larger.
Report fly-tipping
If you spot someone fly-tipping or find fly-tipped waste in Fenland, please report it as soon as possible to help us catch those responsible. You can report it to us quickly and easily online or phone 01354 654321.
Bulky Waste service
Fenland District Council runs a Bulky Waste service where household items that are too big for your wheeled bin can be collected from your home for a fixed fee. Visit our Bulky Waste service webpage for more information.
Household waste can also be taken to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre for free.
