Flytippers prosecuted

A Norfolk magistrate has waged war on flytippers who blight “this lovely county” after two offenders admitted dumping waste.

At Swaffham Magistrates' Court, Adrian Fitzpatrick, 34, of Nicholas Hammond Way, Swaffham, and Russell Geddes-Green, 19, of Cromwell Road, Weeting, were both prosecuted by Breckland Council as part of its Get Tough on Tippers campaign.

On Tuesday presiding magistrate Bob Woodhouse told Fitzpatrick and Geddes-Green that flytipping was extremely damaging and very serious.

“We all live in this beautiful county of ours and we do not want to spoil it,” he said.

Fitzpatrick, a self-employed landscape gardener, admitted flytipping two tonnes of topsoil, which included wood, bricks and other waste, on the entrance to farm land owned by Palgrave Farming in Castle Acre Road, Swaffham, in March.

He was ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid community work and to pay £1034 costs.

Nick Porter, for Breckland Council, said Fitzpatrick had been paid £500 to remove the soil from a property in Station Street and had driven just 660 yards to dump it.

Fitzpatrick, who is married and has a baby, admitted it was a “silly” thing to do and said he dumped the soil because he was behind with work. The soil also included glass but Fitzpatrick denied that he had known this.

Mr Woodhouse said it was an extremely serious case aggravated by Fitzpatrick making money from it.

Geddes-Green, a self-employed plasterer, admitted dumping waste - including bags of household waste, cans of paint and plaster, toys and correspondence - in Cranwich Heath, Thetford Forest, in January.

He was ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work in the community and to pay £1250 costs.

“It is a Site of Specific Scientific Interest and disposing of waste, particularly including plastics and paint, would have caused serious harm to both nature and the public, said Mr Porter.

Peter Lane, defending, said Geddes-Green was “very sorry,” and that he had originally intended to dispose of the waste properly.

Mr Woodhouse said the waste that Geddes-Green had left was “diabolical”.

After the case Kay Fisher, Breckland Council's executive member for the environment said: “We now have our fourth successful flytipping prosecution in as many months.

“This is a powerful message to send to offenders that flytipping is a serious offence with severe consequences.”

She added that Breckland had also issued three £80 fixed penalty notices for inappropriate disposal of waste in Thetford in the past week and that covert surveillance cameras installed in Thetford in July have been extremely effective.

Breckland also wanted to stress that people should also be aware that they are responsible for their waste and that if they use a private waste removal company they need to check that they are an authorised waste carrier. To check a contractor has a licence people should call the Environment Agency on 08708 506506.