A Warmley man has been ordered to pay a total of £1,200 in fines and costs after South Gloucestershire Council prosecuted him following the discovery of a fridge freezer fly-tipped in a local car park.
Tony Godfrey, 46 of Quantock Close, Warmley appeared at Bristol Magistrates Court on 3 November. He was was scheduled to appear on 29 September and 13 October but failed to turn up, so a warrant without bail was issued for his arrest. On Saturday 1 November Godfrey was arrested by Police and was detained in custody until Monday 3 November when he was presented before Bristol Magistrates. He pleaded guilty to fly-tipping and was handed a £500 fine, ordered to pay costs of £500 and a victim surcharge of £200, making a total of £1,200.
The court heard that on Monday 10 March 2025, a fridge freezer was discovered fly-tipped at Jubilee Park car park in Warmley, South Gloucestershire. When council officers attended to clear the waste, they found a passport, driving licence and correspondence relating to a Lyde Green resident inside the freezer.
The council’s environmental enforcement officers visited the Lyde Green address, where the occupier confirmed that the fridge freezer, identity documents and correspondence belonged to them. They stated that they had no idea that the documents were missing from their home but confirmed that they had the fridge freezer collected by a friend Tony Godfrey from their home, as he had offered to take it to the recycling centre as a favour.
Godfrey was contacted and invited to interview under caution at the council’s offices on 9 April. During the interview Godfrey admitted to collecting the fridge freezer in a borrowed van with the intention of booking an appointment and taking it to the recycling centre. He claimed that he was subsequently contacted by the householder requesting for the fridge freezer to be returned as they now believed it not to be broken as there was a switch on the back they had forgotten about. He stated that he could not return the fridge as he needed to empty the van and advised them that he would leave it in the Jubilee Park car park so they could arrange for somebody else to collect it. He stated he left the fridge at the car park at 10.30pm on the same day he had collected it and was not aware of any documentation being inside it.
The interview concluded and Godfrey was advised he was being reported for summons for the offence of fly-tipping.
Councillor Sean Rhodes, cabinet member responsible for environmental enforcement at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “There’s no excuse to dump rubbish on the roadside or in a public space. We all have a duty to dispose of our waste in a responsible manner. Not only did this man fly-tip, but he also repeatedly failed to attend court which resulted in a warrant for his arrest and a weekend spent in custody.
“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
