The incident is one of two recent fly-tipping cases in Stafford Borough that have resulted in fixed penalty notices totalling over £1,000, prompting a warning from the local councillor responsible for the environment.
Items including chairs, plant pots and cardboard were dumped in a layby on the A518 near the village. Stafford Borough Council traced the waste back to an address in Nottingham.
The owner said he had paid £250 to a removal company he found on Gumtree to take the rubbish away. However, because the company was not a registered waste carrier, he was held responsible and issued with a £600 fixed penalty notice. He refused to provide details of the company he had used.
A second incident in Eccleshall
In a separate case in June, a delivery driver from Wimborne in Dorset dumped a large black bag of domestic waste at an industrial premises in Eccleshall. He was issued with a £500 fixed penalty notice.
Check before you pay anyone to take your rubbish
Councillor Ian Fordham, Cabinet Member for Environment at Stafford Borough Council, urged residents to always check that anyone they hire to remove waste is a registered waste carrier.
He said: "Fly-tipping, littering, and other environmental crimes, are a blight on our communities. It may seem like a cheap alternative paying someone to get rid of your rubbish, but if they are not a registered waste carrier then you leave yourself open to a fine or even prosecution."
You can check whether a waste carrier is registered using the free search tool on the Environment Agency website before handing over any money.
Source: expressandstar.com
Image: Fly-tipping in Gnosall | Stafford Borough Council
