January 29, 2014 3.11 pm This story is over 122 months old

Former council litter picker fined for fly-tipping

Prosecuted: An man who formerly worked as a council litter picker has been fined for dumping waste on the road side near Bracebridge Heath.
The rubbish left by Surridge at the road side. Photo: NKDC

A former council litter picker has been fined £1,000 after he was caught dumping rubbish on a verge near Bracebridge Heath.

Darren Paul Surridge of Salem Street in Gosberton was found guilty of fly-tipping at Lincoln Magistrates Court after North Kesteven District Council brought the prosecution.

On July 25, 2013, a local farm worker saw Surridge remove the rubbish (pictured) from his car on the B1178 and leave it on the grass verge.

The rubbish contained items such as drinks containers, food wrappers, plastic bags and a till receipt from a local garage dated the same day.

The worker passed on Surridge’s registration details to NKDC, who looked at CCTV images from the garage.

Surridge pleaded guilty by phone and letter and also returned to clear up the waste.

However, he failed to engage further with the council, attend interviews and presented no defence.

The court also heard he used to work for the council as a litter picker.

He was fined £500, with £450 added on for prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £50.

Councillor Richard Wright, NKDC’s Executive Board Member with responsibility for enforcement, feels the prosecution shows how seriously the council regards fly-tipping.

He said: “This prosecution serves as a costly reminder of the need to dispose of all waste items carefully, properly and within the law.

“There is no reason why this waste could not have been taken home and placed in his recycling bin or even left in a waste bin at the garage when he bought fuel not long before going out of his way to dump it on a country lane.”