Man prosecuted after dumping 11 fridge freezers in North Somerset
His offence was reported by a member of the public
North Somerset Council say they will 'vigorously' investigate fly-tipping after a man's been prosecuted for dumping 11 fridge freezers.
On Friday, Victor Rotundu from Cobham Road in Bristol pleaded guilty at North Somerset Magistrates Court to the offence in Long Ashton back in June.
He was ordered to pay more than £1500 following the offence, which was witnessed by a local resident, who then reported it to the council.
Officers found that Mr Rotundu had hired the vehicle used to drop off the appliances at the time the offence took place, and was handed the £1,518 bill on Friday (15 December), comprising of a fine of £200 and North Somerset Council’s full costs of £1,318.
Welcoming the outcome of the prosecution, Councillor Annemieke Waite, North Somerset Council's executive member responsible for climate and waste, said: “Fly-tipping is completely unacceptable. It has a negative impact on our local environment and communities.
“North Somerset Council will vigorously investigate all fly-tipping incidents and issue fixed penalty notices or prosecute individuals when sufficient evidence is found.
“I’d like to remind residents using private companies to collect their waste of the importance in checking that they’re registered with the environment agency. Waste carriers should always provide paperwork showing their full contact details and a description of the waste taken. It’s also useful if residents make a note of the vehicle the waste carrier used, including the registration number. This information allows officers to trace the keeper of the vehicle if the waste ends up being fly-tipped.”
You are urged to follow these steps to make sure your waste is disposed legally:
- S - Suspect all waste carriers and don't let them take your waste until they have proven themselves to be legitimate
- C - Check that a waste carrier is registered on the Environment Agency's website
- R - Refuse any unexpected offers to have your rubbish taken away
- A - Ask what will happen to your rubbish and ask for evidence that it is going to be disposed of appropriately
- P - Paperwork must be obtained - a proper invoice, waste transfer note or receipt
North Somerset residents can dispose of their household waste at any of the council’s recycling centres at Backwell, Portishead and Weston-super-Mare.
Rsidents who find fly-tipped waste should report it to the council as soon as possible on the North Somerset Council website.