A Norfolk man who dumped an array of rubbish on Forestry Commission land has been successfully prosecuted for fly-tipping.
David Webb, from Mundford, attended Ipswich Magistrates' Court on January 10 and pleaded guilty to the incident of fly-tipping and to the additional offence of transporting waste without a waste carrier's license.
The waste, left on Forestry Commission land east of Brandon, consisted of boxes, bags, and other miscellaneous items. It had been collected from a couple in Brandon who had used Webb to remove the waste following renovations to their property. They had found him through an online 'for sale' site.
The incident was reported to Forest Heath District Council on April 8, 2016. Evidence collected at the scene by a Forestry Commission ranger was passed to the district council, who carried out an investigation.
The court gave Webb a three month curfew order, ordered him to pay ?£200 towards the district council's costs and £?300 in compensation to the Forestry Commission. He will also have to pay a victim surcharge of ?£60.
David Bowman, Forest Heath cabinet member for operations, said: 'Anyone taking away waste for a reward needs to be registered to transport it. They also need to pay for its disposal, so if the price they are offering is low, the waste owner must make sure it isn't too good to be true.
'New services are being requested and offered online, but the same responsibilities apply however you choose to dispose of your waste. You have a legal duty to ensure your contractor has the correct permits.
'It is in your best interests to find out (by calling the Environment Agency on 08708 506506 and asking them for an Instant Waste Validation Check) because the original householder can still be prosecuted for not making reasonable checks.'
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