Man fined for flytipping in South Wiltshire woods

Wiltshire Council led the prosecution after was left at West Tytherley

Author: Faye TryhornPublished 1st Aug 2024

A man's been fined nearly £1,300 for illegally dumping commercial waste in the South Wiltshire countryside.

Josh Sheen from Southampton admitted leaving rubbish at Bentley Wood at West Tytherley and failing to produce transfer notes to Wiltshire Council.

He operates a waste and scrap metal business and had been paid £50 to take items away from a property in Southampton.

As well as the fine, Mr Sheen has also been ordered to complete 200 of unpaid work.

A witness who assisted Wiltshire Council in securing a conviction will also get a £100 reward, as part of the authority'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.”

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