A man from Bristol and another from Yate have been prosecuted at Bristol Magistrates Court following investigations into separate incidents of fly-tipping by South Gloucestershire Council’s Environmental Crime Team.
Nathan Meredith (29) of Combe Dale, Seamills, Bristol was sentenced to a two-month curfew and ordered to pay £395 in costs, after being found guilty of fly-tipping. In May 2020, a witness saw a mattress, plastics, cardboard and other household waste being dumped from a white van at Latteridge Lane, Alveston. The quick-thinking member of the public took the number plate and reported it to the Council, and the van was traced back to Meredith.
Meredith admitted that he had arranged for the waste to be collected from an address in Patchway but denied being in the vehicle at the time of the fly-tip. He said knew who was in the vehicle at the time it happened but refused to name the individuals and accepted responsibility for the offence.
David Todd (22) of Harescombe, Yate was found guilty of fly-tipping and fined £534 following the discovery of a quantity of chippings, flagstones and a large number of black bags full of rubbish at Little Sodbury End Lane, Chipping Sodbury in May 2020. Council Envirocrime Officers examined the waste and found evidence which led them to Todd and enabled them to interview him under caution.
Todd stated that he was approached at home by a man who asked if he had any rubbish he wanted to get rid of. He claimed to have given the man six to eight black bags of household waste to dispose of but only gave a brief description of the individual and the vehicle he was driving.
South Gloucestershire Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Local Place, Cllr Rachael Hunt said: “I’m pleased to see justice has been served as fly-tipping blights our communities and causes a hazard to members of the public, local wildlife, and is completely unacceptable.
“We will pursue anyone who dumps their rubbish illegally through the courts and we have a 100 per cent success rate for securing convictions for this type of offence. Anyone who fly-tips in South Gloucestershire is five times more likely to be prosecuted than anywhere else in the country.
“We all have a responsibility to dispose of our waste in a responsible and lawful manner and if you hire a company to dispose of your waste, it is your responsibility to ensure they have the relevant waste carrier licences, or you could face a fine.”
Unwanted goods and household or garden waste can all be disposed of at no cost via the council’s Sort IT! * Centres https://beta.southglos.gov.uk/recycling-centres
Residents who see illegal fly tipping are encouraged to report it by contacting the StreetCare helpdesk on 01454 868000, emailing streetcare@southglos.gov.uk or visiting www.southglos.gov.uk/flytipping
