Fly-tippers taken to court

Fly-tip in Breckland at your peril - that was the message from officials and magistrates after the first two prosecutions were launched by the district council.

Stephen Bellingham, who admitted dumping rubbish in Thetford Forest, was ordered to do 100 hours' unpaid community work and pay £1,325 to cover court, investigation and clean-up costs.

Delroy Duhaney pleaded guilty to fly-tipping 11 plastic sacks, containing nappies and other household waste, in Norwich Road, Swaffham on January 11, despite Breckland giving him two of the council's largest bins for domestic use. He will be sentenced next Tuesday.

“Fly-tip in Breckland at your peril,” said Breckland enforcement officer Keith Fuller after the sentence given at Swaffham Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

“This sends out a clear message to anyone fly-tipping in Breckland that when they are caught they will be dealt with firmly and with appropriate sentencing, and the public purse will not suffer.”

Mr Fuller said a number of other fly- tipping prosecutions were being pursued thanks to new powers given to authorities under the Clean Neighbourhood and Environment Act.

Jean Bonnick, chairman of the bench, said: “It's the court's duty to help protect the environment and they will not put up with fly-tipping anymore.

“Fly-tipping is now regarded as an extremely unpleasant crime. The councils and the courts will not put up with it.”

Ann Steward, Breckland cabinet member for the environment, said she hoped the prosecutions would deter more people from fly-tipping and help stamp out the problem.

Bellingham, 48, of Field Road, Brandon, admitted dumping rubbish, including cardboard boxes and a metal incinerator, in part of Thetford Forest, just off Brandon Road, Weeting.

He was seen driving his pick up truck to the site and offloading the waste on December 22 last year.

Nicholas Porter, prosecuting, said: “Mr Bellingham's deposit of waste, particularly the metal incinerator, created a hazard to both the public and nature.”

Bellingham said he had not set out to fly-tip and he regretted what he had done.

Duhaney, 42, of Norwich Road, Watton, said he had missed waste collections because he was confused by the collection times during the Christmas period and because his family had only recently moved to the area from Sussex.

He said he had wanted to take the rubbish to the tip in Ashill but it was closed, and it was a “spur of the moment” decision to leave them in Norwich Road.

“I was trying to avoid a build up of rubbish bags. When I saw the wheelie bins at the side of the road, I saw it as an opportunity to dispose of them because I assumed they would be collected,” he said.

Duhaney will be sentenced next Tuesday.

Breckland Council has received 957 reports of rubbish being dumped in the district over the last 12 months including building materials, fridges and vehicle parts and the clean-up costs have been £47,000.