April 7, 2015 2.01 pm This story is over 113 months old

Lincoln fly tipper handed £860 fine after refusing to assist officers

Fly tipping: After dumping garden waste on a Lincoln roadside, and ignoring requests for information, Joe Rooney was fined £860.

The garden waste was dumped on the side of Whisby Road, Whisby in May 2014.

A Lincoln man has faced the consequences of fly tipping, at a cost of £860, after he dumped garden waste on the side of a Lincoln road.

On the May 27 2014, North Kesteven District Council’s Environmental Protection team were alerted to garden waste that had been left at the roadside on Whisby Road, Whisby.

Eyewitnesses saw the waste being dumped, and were able to take down the registration number of the vehicle involved.

The waste was then traced back to Mr Joe Rooney of Drinsey Nook, Lincoln, and officers set about determining the reasons for the fly tipping.

Mr Rooney however failed to attend an interview under caution and then refused to comply with Section 108 Notice, which requires him to provide information.

This led to his prosecution. 

The case went to Lincoln Magistrates Court on the March 16 2015, where Mr Rooney was found guilty of failing to provide information and assistance to an authorised officer (Section 110 of the Environment Act 1995).

He was ordered to pay a fine of £600, plus £200 in costs and a victim surcharge of £60 – £860 overall and the equivalent of almost 35 years of North Kesteven’s Garden Waste service collections.

Head of Environment and Public Protection, Mark Taylor, said: “This is a good result for the council in our attempts to curb fly tipping in the district.

“The case makes it clear that individuals must cooperate with our investigations by providing the information we require. Had Mr Rooney cooperated with our officers at an earlier date, the outcome may have been very different for him.

“We are working hard to stamp out fly tipping in North Kesteven, and will not hesitate to prosecute those involved where necessary. Residents unsure on what to do with their waste should give Customer Services a call for advice.”

For information on the Bulky Items collection service, people can visit the NKDC website or call 01529 414155.

People can report a case of fly tipping by using the NKDC fly tipping form.