Devizes man prosecuted for dumping waste, while fines issued to other fly-tippers

Published 29 April 2024

Wiltshire Council has successfully prosecuted a Devizes man for fly-tipping in the town.

Following a report from a member of the public who witnessed the event, Matthew Pike of Anzio Road, Devizes, pleaded guilty to fly-tipping on Friday 12 April at Swindon Magistrates Court and received over £500 in costs and fines, as well as a criminal record.

Mr Pike admitted he had discarded items from his property over the back of the railings of a shared car park and into bushes. The items included shopping trolleys, bicycle frames, bicycle tyres, car tyres and wooden planks.

Following several invites to interviews under caution, which he failed to attend, and a non-payment of a fixed penalty notice (FPN) issued by the council, Environmental Enforcement officers commenced prosecution proceedings against him.

Elsewhere around the county, a Ludgershall man was issued with a £400 FPN for failure to comply with his household waste duty of care after he claimed he paid an unlicensed waste carrier to take away his rubbish.

The black bags were later found fly-tipped in a residential area in Ludgershall. The man failed to check whether the waste carrier was licensed, and he did not record the vehicle details of the person who took his waste, nor did he request a receipt or waste transfer note.

A Trowbridge woman was also issued with a £400 FPN for fly-tipping waste on Deep Lane, Corsley, near Warminster. The household waste was dumped in a layby and Environmental Enforcement officers investigated, which led to the FPN being issued for this illegal act.

Neither of the people who received FPNs can be named as it is not a conviction in court.

Cllr Nick Holder, Cabinet Member for Highways, Street Scene and Flooding, said: "No matter where fly-tipping takes place in our beautiful county, we will take action against anyone who dumps waste in Wiltshire, and we will use all powers available to us to fine and prosecute people.

"In the case of the Devizes resident, he had every opportunity to pay the fixed penalty notice we issued, but chose not to and instead now has a bigger fine and a criminal record.

"We are focused on tackling fly-tipping in Wiltshire, and as part of our Business Plan commitment and our award-winning We're Targeting Fly-tippers (WTF) campaign, we have invested an extra £150,000 a year into tackling environmental crime.

"I'd like to thank the people that reported these fly-tipping incidents to us. Anyone who spots fly-tipping in Wiltshire should report it to us using MyWilts and we will investigate and take action."

The witness to the Devizes incident successfully claimed a £100 high street voucher as a reward through the council's We're Targeting Fly-tippers (WTF) campaign, which financially rewards residents that provide information that leads to the payment of an FPN or a successful prosecution in court. Since the reward programme began in 2019, the council has given more than 25 rewards to people who have reported fly-tipping and provided a witness statement.

To find out more about how the council is tackling fly-tipping in Wiltshire, including potential rewards and how to report fly-tipping, people should visit our fly tipping page

Topics:

• Highways and transport news

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