Rubbish thrown from van at Shropshire beauty spot costs Telford man £1,200
A Telford man has been ordered to pay a total of £1,200 after bags of rubbish and household goods were flung from a van near a Shropshire beauty spot.
Van owner Richard Hewitt was found guilty of one offence of depositing controlled waste without a permit at Shrewsbury Crown Court following a trial. A vacuum cleaner, a sandwich toaster, glass and boots were among the dumped items.
The 33-year-old was charged after he was identified as the registered keeper of the vehicle which was seen with two men inside in Wellington Road, Much Wenlock, in May last year.
The Ford Transit was seen by a resident who saw the driver throw a vacuum cleaner out of the side window while a man in the back of the van lobbed yellow refuse bags onto the road and hedgerows. He made a note of the number plate and reported it to police then Telford & Wrekin Council, where the matter was investigated by enforcement officers.
A check of the registration details led officers to the defendant’s front door in Arthur Way, Woodside.
The court also heard that the defendant had previous convictions for dishonesty and driving matters.
Hewitt had denied the charge, claiming he was staying in Wrexham at the time. Miss Debra White, mitigating, told the court that Hewitt had sold the van and could not afford to the £5,340 prosecution costs. Miss White said: “He does not have the means to cover the costs. I accept that the items had to be retrieved.”
Judge Jim Tindal told Hewitt: “This case should have stayed at the magistrates court. You chose to have it heard at crown court where the costs are significantly higher.”
For the offence he fined him £800 and ordered him to pay £400 costs. Hewitt must pay at a rate of £100 a month and must pay within 28 days.
Councillor Richard Overton, Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for enforcement said: “Catching fly-tippers in the act can be very difficult and we are very grateful to the member of the public who witnessed this and reported it to us.”
“When we receive such reports, our enforcement officers will do all they can to catch those responsible, as they have done with Richard Hewitt.
“We want to keep our borough clean and safe. I hope the fine handed out to Mr. Hewitt serves as a warning to fly-tippers.
