Swindon fly-tipping protester fined for fly-tipping at council

George Brockbanks said he dumped the rubbish on his street outside the council offices with his "name on it and telephone number"

A man who was fed up with fly-tipped rubbish near his home, decided to dump it outside the council offices and was then fined for fly-tipping.

George Brockbanks, from Old Town, said he took matters into his own hands after his complaints were ignored by Swindon Borough Council.

He said: "I couldn't take some of the bags in my car because of the smell."

The authority has since withdrawn the fine and said it was "working with him to understand what the issues are".

Mr Brockbanks, said people had started fly-tipping in his street because the council had not collected the rubbish.

He said some of the fast food rubbish had been there for "well over a week" and there was "obviously" an "issue with rats".

Mr Brockbanks said some of the fast food rubbish had been there for "well over a week"

"On the other side of the alley way it was full up so you couldn't drive past," he said.

"I decided something has got to be done. It can't go on because the situation is getting worse."

In a bid to "get rid of some of it", he packed it in his car and drove it to the council's offices.

"I left it there with my name on it and telephone number," he said.

"And I was waiting for some sort of response and nothing happened.

"But when I took the second lot down, when I got home from work there was a £400 fine for fly-tipping."

He said he was only trying to bring the issue "to light" as it was " just not right" and was "not fair for the residents".

Swindon Borough Council said it was "keen to do more to stop fly-tipping across Swindon, including on Mr Brockbanks' street".

"This includes taking a firm line on applying fines and prosecutions where we have evidence of people fly-tipping," a spokesperson said.

"We are working with him to understand what the issues are and how he feels they should be resolved."