A man who was fined £400 for fly-tipping in a scenic area said he did it because he “had things to do”.

The culprit dumped rubbish on Barnham Common, near Thetford, but was traced by Breckland Council as part of an investigation.

When asked about the incident, the culprit said that the sunny weather made him reluctant to travel to the nearby recycling centre, as he “had things to do”.

When presented with evidence by the council’s officers, the fly-tipper later expressed regret and agreed to pay a fixed penalty notice and help clear the dumped rubbish.

Gordon Bambridge, executive cabinet member for waste and environment, commented: “We all need to take personal responsibility for our waste, with the aim to reduce, reuse or recycle as much as we can to help protect our precious environment.

“Sadly, after a spot of sunny weather, this person felt it was perfectly okay to fly-tip in a scenic area, instead of taking it to the local recycling centre where it would have been disposed of for free. Instead, they’ve been given a big fine and potentially faces more serious action if they fly-tip in the future.

“Our enforcement team is active in the communities, tracking down fly-tippers and will leave no stone unturned to identify people who show no respect for the local community and our environment.”

Fly-tipping incidents in Breckland can be reported online at www.breckland.gov.uk/flytip.