Fly tipper feeling fine

4.58.11pm GMT Fri 23rd Jan 2009

• A FLY-TIPPER who dumped a TV and mattress in a plastic bottle bank ended up paying £315 in fine and costs.

Ratnavadival Sivasabesan admitted leaving the items at the Whitton Library Recycling Site but said in his defence he was helping a friend and did not know the law. In a prosecution brought by Richmond upon Thames Council, CCTV footage of Mr Sivasabesan showed him putting five items in the plastic bottle bank and then, having spotted the camera, removing three of them. He was fined £200 with £100 costs and £15 victim surcharge by Richmond magistrates on January 14.

The maximum fine for fly tipping is £50,000 or 12 months' imprisonment but in this case the penalty reflected the fact that Mr Sivasabesan, 34, who lives in Hayes, had recently lost his job because of immigration issues. The court heard there were long-standing fly-tipping problems at the Whitton recycling site, on a scale which required a caged vehicle to call by every day to clear up dumped rubbish. The Council has since replaced the recycling bin with a type that cannot be opened.

Following the case, Richmond upon Thames Council's Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Martin Elengorn, said: "The vast majority of people use the recycling facilities in the proper way so it is disappointing that a small minority abuse the system and cost the Council, and therefore the Council tax payer, time, effort and money in clearing up after them. Our Street Scene Enforcement Team is successfully pursuing these anti-social individuals and I urge residents to report fly-tipping incidents so that the message can be driven home."

Following 16 incidents captured by CCTV of illegal deposits of waste at Whitton Library Recycling Site (Whitton Library Car Park off Nelson Road) between April and July 2008, the following enforcement actions were taken: 1 verbal warning was given regarding a small deposit 25/4/08; 1 simple caution was issued for a minor offence identified on 20/6/08; 1 warning letter was sent to a person to warn against stealing from clothing recycling bank 21/5/08; 8 minor offences of fly tipping offences were dealt with by issuing fixed penalty notices of £80 for the offence of litter. Four were non-residents. Four other incidents resulted in legal proceedings and successful prosecutions - three cases against non-residents: Littering (Sofa) - 20/5/08 - £350 fine, £200 costs (court case 13/8/08); Fly tipping (Building & green waste in banks) - 26/6/08 - a 12 month conditional discharge, the full £160 compensation order, no costs (12/11/08); Fly tipping (TV & Mattress) - 8/7/08 - £200 fine, £100 costs (14/1/09); 1 person was prosecuted for failing to respond to S.17 notice 25/4/08 - £525 fine, £200 costs (13/8/08).

The S17 notice relates to a requirement placed on the registered keeper of a vehicle used in the illegal deposit of waste to inform the Council who was in control of the vehicle at the time. They failed to meet the requirement so were prosecuted for this rather than the offence of fly tipping. Any CCTV footage of the illegal deposit of waste will be acted upon by Street Scene Enforcement. Visit the link below for how residents can report fly tipping incidents, make sure that their waste is properly disposed of, and so on.

Related Link:

• Report Fly Tipping Here