Three men from Filton have been handed 12 months conditional discharge each and ordered to pay a total of £332 in fines and costs after South Gloucestershire Council prosecuted them following the discovery of fly-tipped waste.
Kieran Gibbons (22), Anthony Matthews (20) and Joseph Levy (29) of the same address in Filton Avenue, South Gloucestershire appeared at Bristol Magistrates Court on Monday 19 February, where they plead guilty to fly-tip offences. They were each handed a 12 month conditional discharge as well as being ordered to pay a fine of £306 to be split between them and a £26 victim surcharge, making a total of £332.
The court heard that on Tuesday 24 October 2023 a fly-tip was discovered on a public pavement at Station Road, Filton, which consisted of numerous black bags full of household waste. Among the rubbish was correspondence addressed to several individuals residing at Filton Avenue, in a house only several hundred yards away. Enquiries were made to the landlord, who provided contact details of three students that were residing at the address at the time of the offence.
All three were invited to attend voluntary interviews at South Gloucestershire Council’s offices in Yate, on Monday 20 November 2023 where they admitted dumping six bin liners of household waste and that their actions amounted to fly-tipping. The housemates stated they were due to be visited the next day by their landlord and whilst walking home along Station Road, noticed a small pile of dumped bags. Together they decided to each take two bags of waste from their address and add it to the pile so their house would be tidy for the landlord inspection. They were advised that they would be reported for summons for the offence of fly-tipping.
Councillor Leigh Ingham, cabinet member responsible for environmental enforcement at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “I’m pleased to see this matter dealt with by the court. We understand that many students have financial struggles but we all have a responsibility when it comes to waste and it’s not acceptable to just discard rubbish on the street and expect others to clear it away. The magistrate took into account the students’ admissions and their financial position when sentencing them, which is why the fine is split between all three of them.
“This prosecution is directly linked to the council’s Duty of Care campaign and investigations as part of that initiative. At the time of the offence Filton was a priority area for the campaign due to the volumes of fly-tipping related to household waste.”
Household waste can be taken to the council’s Sort It recycling centres where it can be disposed of at no cost www.southglos.gov.uk/sortitcentres
Residents who see illegal fly-tipping are encouraged to report it by contacting the council’s StreetCare helpdesk on 01454 868000, emailing streetcare@southglos.gov.uk or visiting www.southglos.gov.uk/flytipping
