Swindon resident fined for fly-tipping as council cracks down

The person who had their waste removed was "crucial" to the investigation

A person has been issued with a £400 fixed penalty notice (FPN) as a council cracks down on fly-tipping.

The Swindon resident was targeted after they dumped waste at a disused layby in Broad Hinton, near the town.

They were fined as part of a zero-tolerance approach to fly-tipping, taken up by Wiltshire Council, which receives some 200 reports per month.

Council leader Richard Clewer said: "We will always prosecute or issue FPNs where we can."

During a formal interview, enforcement officers found the waste had been removed from a Devizes home by someone from Swindon.

They had offered to dispose of it properly but instead dumped it on their way back home.

"Thankfully, the resident who gave their waste away for disposal recorded all the details of the person who took the waste, which assisted officers in catching this fly-tipper," explained Mr Clewer.

The fly-tipper was then issued a £400 fine, which has now been paid.

They had claimed to have tidied the rear of their van in the layby and forgot to place all of the waste back in the vehicle before moving on.

A Wiltshire Council spokesperson advised people using a waste clearance service to:

• Check they have a valid upper tier waste carrier licence

• Note their vehicle registration, make and model

• Get a receipt or waste transfer note

Mr Clewer said: "This is yet another example of the great work our officers do to help combat fly-tipping."

He said anyone who witnesses fly-tipping should report it to the council, and could receive £200 in high street vouchers if their information leads to a successful prosecution or a fixed penalty notice being paid.

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