South Wiltshire man fined after being caught fly-tipping
John King, from Redlynch, operates a Tree & Garden service
A South Wiltshire man has been fined after being caught fly-tipping by covert cameras, as Wiltshire Council continues its zero-tolerance approach to the issue.
John King, 39, of Redlynch, operating at John’s Tree & Garden Services, was hit with fines and costs totalling £2,190.
King admitted dumping a large volume of garden waste on an access road to Lode Hill Caravan Site in Downton although when interviewed under caution by Environmental Enforcement Officers, he claimed to be moving other peoples fly-tipped waste.
Covert cameras spotted him driving along the access road in his vehicle, with waste on board.
Four minutes later, the same cameras captured King travelling in the opposite direction without the waste.
The area is known as a hotspot for illegal waste dumping.
Cllr Caroline Thomas, Cabinet Member for Transport and Street Scene, said:
“Fly-tipping is a criminal offence, which can not only be unsightly on the Wiltshire landscapes, but hazardous to animals and the environment.
“As part of our business plan commitment, we have invested an extra £150,000 this year into our We’re Targeting Fly-tippers (WTF) campaign, which has included deploying new technologies such as covert cameras.
“This prosecution shows that our investment in this technology is really paying dividends, with the footage being key in capturing a fly-tipper in action.
“Having the cameras is increasing the team’s ability to conduct larger scale operations, which will hopefully result in more formal action and prosecutions against those who choose to illegally fly-tip their waste in Wiltshire.”