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A 70-year-old man from Bourne has been sentenced to six months imprisonment suspended for one year after being prosecuted for an “appalling” case of fly-tipping from five years ago.

Dovel Taylor, of South Fen Road, dumped controlled waste on land at Meadow Drove, Dyke, and then twice on land at Cherry Holt Road in Bourne, all without a permit and contravening the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

An inspection of the dumped waste and further investigation by South Kesteven District Council tracked back to two people who had paid Taylor to take their rubbish away. This, in turn, led to the defendant.

He dumped controlled waste on two occasions on Cherry Holt Road in Bourne. | Photo: SKDC

To determine the sentence, the judge acknowledged that although Dovel had initially denied the offences he pleaded guilty at the first opportunity in court.

Enforcement officers from the council worked alongside its legal team to successfully prosecute the fly-tipper.

Taylor pleaded guilty at Lincoln Crown Court court to three charges of fly-tipping before being given a suspended sentence. In the prosecution brought by the district council, the offences were described in court as a commercial and deliberate operation, and having a significant impact on the environment.

The judge also considered Dovel’s age and health, and that the offences took place in 2017.

The court was told he had no finances, no assets and was on benefits.

The offences were described in court as a commercial and deliberate operation. | Photo: SKDC

Councillor Annie Mason, SKDC’s cabinet member for people and safer communities, said: “Anyone seeing these images will be in no doubt what happened here was appalling. It is great news to secure a successful prosecution sending a stern message to others.

“Illegal dumping of waste is a significant blight on the community and our environment, a potential danger to public health, a source of pollution and a potential danger to wildlife. It is also a crime, costing the taxpayers of South Kesteven thousands of pounds each year to clear up.

“It should not be left to the local council to remove fly-tipped waste and clean up the area; we take fly-tipping very seriously and we will take action whenever possible.

“However, we need the public’s continued support to ensure these criminal actions are brought to justice. Please be vigilant. If you see something suspicious, then report it or we could see more of the same.”

He also dumped controlled waste at Meadow Drove, Dyke. | Photo: SKDC

The council said incidents of fly-tipping should be reported on 01476 406080 or online here.

It is also urging anyone using a waste carrier to check they are legal and registered online here or by calling the Environment Agency on 03708 506506

Social isolation left one in eight Lincolnshire people feeling lonely most of the time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A government study found anxiety also increased as the country was forced to lockdown, particularly among people who were shielding or lived alone.

South Holland and West Lindsey were the parts of Lincolnshire where people were left feeling most isolated.

Around 13% of people reported feeling lonely ‘a lot’ or ‘all of the time’ in these districts between October 2020 and February 2021, according to the Office of National Statistics.

However, social cohesion was less of a problem in North Kesteven, where only 1.7% said they were seriously affected by loneliness during that period.

Urban areas and places where there was a high concentration of young or unemployed people were most prone to feeling lonely, the national study found.

A public health report on the issue will go before Lincolnshire County Council’s Adult and Community Wellbeing Committee next week, looking at the increasing impact and how people can become less isolated.

Loneliness can affect people of all ages | Photo: Adobe Stock

“There is a growing recognition that loneliness has far reaching implications for individuals and also for communities,” the report says.

“Whilst in the past loneliness was sometimes viewed as a trivial or individual personal matter, it is now known to have a wide range of negative effects on both physical and mental health, including depression and suicide, cardiovascular disease and stroke and increased stress levels.”

It says some of the places which glued communities together have disappeared during the pandemic and the proceeding years.

“Many places, particularly in rural and coastal areas, have lost pubs, community centres and neighbourhood shops: the places where people connect, make friends, build relationships, and cultivate a sense of neighbourliness.

“This is not limited to the poorest neighbourhoods, but the impact is often most obvious in communities that have also suffered economic decline. This may be exacerbated in a reduction of business and public sector service provision due to the COVID pandemic.”

The council says it aims to help communities be self-sufficient and thriving in order to reduce loneliness, and improve access to local health and care.