Council will 'come down hard' on fly-tippers

A council says it will "come down hard" on fly-tipping after a man who owned a van involved in four separate incidents of illegal waste dumping was jailed.

Daniel Cunningham, of no fixed abode, appeared at Plymouth Magistrates' Court earlier in March to plead guilty to breaches of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989.

The court heard how a tipper truck belonging to the 35-year-old was involved in the dumping of a variety of waste in services lanes and car parks across Plymouth. He was jailed for two months.

Plymouth City Council said the incidents cost it nearly £2,000 to clear up.

In all of the incidents, Cunningham had been paid to clear waste by members of the public although he was not registered as a carrier of controlled waste, according to the council.

In court, District Judge Haynes said: "People believed you to be licensed but you are not.

"You poisoned our environment just for the sake of some money."

Cunningham is serving his sentence concurrently with another sentence for an unrelated offence.

Tom Briars-Delve, council cabinet member for the environment and street scene, said: "Fly-tipping is a complete blight on our city and we will not hesitate to come down hard on people who think that they are above the law.

"Let this also be a gentle reminder to people who may be paying someone to get rid of their waste.

"Please make sure that you use a licensed waste carrier, and obtain a waste transfer notice when handing your rubbish over.

"If the price is too good to be true, then it probably is."

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