Fly tipper has van seized after dumping rubbish in Dunstable

A van belonging to Simon Whittle was spotted by a passerby on 29 November 2016, on Millfield Lane in Caddington.

She though the flatback van was acting suspiciously and then watched the truck tipping rubbish onto the road as it was driving along.

She made a note of the vehicle registration number and handed it to Central Bedfordshire Council officers.

The registered keeper of the vehicle was confirmed to be Simon James Whittle of Fletcher Way, Hemel Hempstead.

Whittle was asked to attend a PACE interview and to reply to a Section 108 Environment Act 1995 questionnaire, which requested the details of the person who was driving the vehicle.

He attended the interview but denied driving the vehicle and stated that he had loaned his vehicle out to some friends for £60 a day.

During the interview Whittle was asked what precautions he took to ensure his vehicle was not used to commit fly tipping offences, and he stated none.

Whittle, who failed to attend Luton Magistrates Court earlier this week (12 December), was sentenced to a fine of £1,760 under section 110 of the Environmental Act 1995 for the offence of failing to provide information.

He was also sentenced to a fine of £1,510 under section 33 of the Environmental Act 1990 for the offence of unlawful deposit of waste.

The court also ordered that Whittle’s vehicle be seized by Central Bedfordshire Council.

Whittle was also ordered to pay £500 towards costs and pay a surcharge of £170, so his fine totalled £3,990.

The second offender prosecuted this week (12 December) was Maxine Alborough of Regent Street, Dunstable who was found guilty in her absence at Luton Magistrates’ Court.

Alborough was fined £2,430 after being ordered to pay a fine of £1,760, £500 towards costs, and a victim surcharge of £170.

Alborough was convicted after a council Environmental Protection Officer went on a patrol of a well-known fly tipping hot spot on 21 December 2016 and found an unlawful deposit of waste on Beech Road in Dunstable.

The waste consisted of black and white bags and a small artificial Christmas tree.

The officer photographed the waste and searched it for evidence of its origin, and found two letters addressed to Alborough, which were seized as evidence.

Alborough, who failed to attend the court hearing, also failed to complete a Section 108 Environment Act 1995 questionnaire.

Councillor Budge Wells, Executive Member for Corporate Resources, said: “Our record for success in prosecutions of this nature is impressive as a direct result of the hard work and collaborative effort of our Community Safety Operations Team. They work relentlessly to ensure offenders are caught and brought to justice.

“Those who continue to fail to properly dispose of any type of waste can be assured that we will seek the harshest penalties from the courts, including seizing vehicles which can then be crushed.

“We are very grateful for the member of public who assisted us in securing one of these convictions.

“Fly tipping is a blight on all our society.

“Residents can help us reduce this crime by reporting any incidents of fly tipping to our customer services team on 0300 300 8302 or by email at [email protected]”.