A Downend woman has been ordered to pay a total of £1,066 in fines and costs after South Gloucestershire Council prosecuted her for fly-tipping a number of black bin bags in Mangotsfield.
Sajida Wadee, 33, of North Street, Downend appeared at Bristol Magistrates Court on 13 October. She pleaded guilty to fly-tipping, and was handed a fine of £307, ordered to pay costs of £636 and a victim surcharge of £123, making a total of £1,066.
The court heard that a fly-tip consisting of multiple black bin bags was discovered on Carsons Road, Mangotsfield on Monday 14 April 2025. The bags contained broken up fence panels along with delivery packaging addressed to Sajida Wadee.
A witness reported seeing a lone female entering a vehicle at the scene before driving away from the fly-tip. A photo was taken and the vehicle’s registration plate was recorded.
The council’s environmental enforcement officers spoke with the witness and retrieved CCTV footage that confirmed the vehicle had been turned away from Mangotsfield Sort It recycling centre prior to the fly-tip.
A few days later on 17 April 2025, council officers attended the North Street address and after receiving no answer at the door, a calling card was left. Later that same day a call was received from a female identifying herself as Sajida Wadee.
Wadee was advised that she would need to attend an interview under caution. She attended the council offices on 13 May 2025 for interview, where she admitted that the allegation against her was correct and that it was her and her vehicle that was spotted committing the offence. Wadee went on to explain that her intention was to get rid of her waste at the recycling centre, but that staff turned her away as she had not booked her visit in advance.
She explained that the site staff directed her to Carsons Road where she could pull up and book an appointment. Wadee drove to Carsons Road to look for somewhere to do this, but instead of booking a visit she fly-tipped her rubbish there. She admitted that this was a mistake, and added that she later booked a slot at the recycling centre to dispose of more rubbish properly.
She was advised she would be summonsed for the offence of fly-tipping.
Councillor Sean Rhodes, cabinet member responsible for environmental enforcement at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “There is no excuse for dumping rubbish at the roadside and expecting others to clear it away. We all have a duty to deal with our waste responsibly. It only takes a few minutes to book a slot at one of our Sort It recycling centres. Choosing to fly-tip instead could result in a prosecution.
“Fly-tipping is a serious environmental crime that can have a negative impact on communities, can often be hazardous, and costs the council time and money to clear.
“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 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 flytipping 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
