A man from Lockleaze in Bristol has been sentenced to an additional seven days in prison after South Gloucestershire Council prosecuted him for fly-tipping an industrial container.
Martin Williams, 65, of Romney Avenue, Lockleaze, appeared at Bristol Crown Court on 28 May. He pleaded guilty to being in control of a vehicle used for fly-tipping and was sentenced to seven days in prison. Williams is currently on remand for unrelated offences and has no means to pay any fines imposed, so the Judge chose to issue him seven further days of imprisonment.
The court heard that on the morning of Saturday 26 October 2024 a jogger saw two men fly-tipping a large (1000 litre) Intermediate Bulk Container from the rear of a vehicle on Henfield Lane, Westerleigh. The container was dumped next to a sign warning that fly-tippers will be prosecuted.
The jogger realised that he was witnessing a fly-tip and noted down the registration number of the vehicle before reporting the incident to South Gloucestershire Council.
Enquiries by the council established that the vehicle belonged to Martin Williams who was the sole insured driver for the vehicle. It was also found that in the days before and after the fly-tip, the same vehicle was observed transporting more large Intermediate Bulk Containers and other waste in the Bristol and South Gloucestershire areas.
Over the next few months the council made repeated visits and left messages at Williams’ home address requesting he make contact but received no response. He was then sent documentation requiring him to produce a Registered Waste Carriers Licence, Waste Transfer Notes and to attend the council offices for a formal interview. Williams did not attend and made no contact with the council, so the prosecution was progressed for court.
Councillor Sean Rhodes, cabinet member responsible for environmental enforcement at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “Fly-tipping is a serious crime that has a negative impact on communities and the environment, and costs the council time and money to clear.
“This case saw a huge plastic container dumped in a rural area, right next to a sign warning fly-tippers that they will be prosecuted, which demonstrates a blatant disregard for the law. I’m pleased that we were able to bring this prosecution and show that we are very serious when we say we will prosecute anyone caught offending in South Gloucestershire.
“Residents are advised to be wary of cold callers and businesses or people advertising waste clearances on social media sites such as Facebook. There are a number of legitimate options for waste removal, including the council’s large household waste collection service. If you hire a third-party to dispose of your waste, always ask for a copy of the company’s waste carrier registration certificate, make a note of their details and ask where the waste is being taken.
“Prosecutions like these protect our environment and create cleaner and safer places for our communities. These are key priorities of the Liberal Democrat/ Labour partnership.”
Residents and businesses are advised to only give their rubbish to an Environment Agency registered waste carrier.
You can carry out these simple steps to make sure your waste is disposed of legally:
- Ask for a copy of the company’s waste carrier registration certificate and ask where the waste is being taken. Legitimate firms will be happy to provide this information.
- Do not be tempted to use people offering cheap waste clearance on sites such as Facebook and Gumtree unless you have confirmed that they are registered with the Environment Agency
- Check whether the waste carrier is registered by calling the Environment Agency on 08708 506506 or by checking on their website https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers
- Ask for a registered trading address and contact telephone number for the trader and get a receipt.
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
