A woman from Bristol has been given a one year conditional discharge and ordered to pay a total of £1,268.75 in costs after she pleaded guilty to fly tipping waste in South Gloucestershire.
Sarah Jones, 31, of Ridgeway Road, Long Ashton, appeared before Bristol Magistrates’ Court on Friday 9 December. She pleaded guilty to fly tipping and was handed a one year conditional discharge and also ordered to pay costs of £1,248.75 and a victim surcharge of £20.
The court heard that on Tuesday 9 August a witness saw the driver of a motor vehicle leave food waste, used nappies, clothing, plastics, toys and bags of household waste on a roadside verge between the B4055 road and Over Lane, near Easter Compton, South Gloucestershire. The witness described the offender as a male who was the only occupant of the car.
Officers from the council’s environmental crime team traced the vehicle to its registered keeper, Sarah Jones and Section 108 notices were served on her requesting details of the vehicle’s driver on the day in question. No response was ever received from the notices served and therefore the registered keeper of the vehicle is held responsible for the offence.
South Gloucestershire Council’s Environment and Community Services Committee Chair Cllr Heather Goddard said: “Fly tipping is an issue that affects our communities and local environment. This type of behaviour will not be tolerated in South Gloucestershire and offenders can expect to be caught and prosecuted. The duty of care to ensure the proper disposal of waste rests with everyone including vehicle owners. There is no excuse to fly-tip; our Sort It Centres are open from 8.30am to 4.30pm, seven days a week.”
Unwanted goods and household or garden waste can all be disposed of at no cost via the council’s Sort It centres.
Residents who see illegal fly tipping are encouraged to report it by using our ‘Report flytipping’ web form or emailing streetcare@southglos.gov.uk. For more information visit www.southglos.gov.uk/flytipping
