May 21, 2022 7.00 am This story is over 22 months old

Resident lands £400 fly-tipping fine after paying ‘man with van’ to take away rubbish

The rubbish was dumped illegally

One recent illegal incident of fly-tipping led to a £400 fine. | Photo: WLDC

A Lincolnshire resident has been fined £400 after paying a ‘man with a van’ to remove rubbish, which was then dumped illegally in Normanby-by-Stow.

West Lindsey District Council’s Community Safety Team issued the fixed penalty notice after an investigation into the fly-tipping offence.

Kim Enderby, senior licensing and community safety officer for WLDC, said the council received a report of the fly-tip at Normanby-by-Stow from a member of the local community on April 21, 2022.

He said: “Officers attended and made a search of the discarded rubbish and seized items, which on further investigation led us to the owner of the illegally dumped property.

“When we spoke with the resident, it appeared that they saw a ‘man with a van’ advertising on Facebook and paid him to remove the rubbish. The man with the van then dumped it at Normanby-by-Stow.

“They paid in cash for his services and did not receive an invoice or any other kind of paperwork. Nothing was done to check that they were employing the services of a responsible, legitimate business with the correct waste carriers licence in place.”

As the resident was unable to demonstrate the work was carried out, they ultimately remained responsible for the illegal dumping of their belongings and were issued with the £400 fine – which has now been paid in full.

The address was found in the fly-tipped rubbish. | Photo: WLDC

The incident has prompted a stark warning from the council to households to check waste is disposed of properly to avoid facing a fine. The council has seen a rise in criminal activity of this type.

Councillor Owen Brierly, chairman of the prosperous communities committee, said: “Residents must always take the time to ensure that they are hiring the services of a legitimate business. By doing such a thing It will help prevent fly-tipping offences occurring in the future, and could also prevent residents from receiving a £400 fixed penalty notice.”

The council is urging people to cary out the following simple checks before paying anyone to remove their waste:

  • Anyone offering to remove waste of any type, should have a valid waste carrier’s licence, which they should be able to produce upon request. Or you can go on the Environment Agency website and check that the business is registered.
  • Don’t pay in cash and do ask for a waste transfer note or invoice – any legitimate operator will be using these.
  • Ask some simple questions to establish where your waste is going – you can even make a record of the registration number of the vehicle being used to transport the waste.

Anyone with concerns about any individuals or businesses operating illegally is being urged to contact West Lindsey District Council so that they can be investigated. Fly-tipping can also be reported online here.

To ensure the waste carrier is legitimate customers can obtain a ‘Waste Transfer’ Note from them. Their registration details can then be checked online here or by calling 03708 506 506.