Woman who paid 'friend of a friend' to dispose of rubbish gets huge fine after it was found dumped

The woman, from Market Drayton, was traced after her rubbish was found abandoned on the side of Beechdale Lane in the village of Tittensor, near Stone in Staffordshire.

The items, dumped in late March, included a child's toy car, pushchair, black recycling tubs and old cloths.

Officers from Stafford Borough Council traced the trash around 15 miles away to her Shropshire hometown.

When asked how the rubbish ended up on the village lane she told the council that she had “paid a trusted friend of a friend” £40 to take it.

The woman admitted the offence and was given the maximum £600 fixed penalty notice.

Stafford Borough Council increased fines for environmental crimes earlier this year following a government crack-down on the national rise in littering, graffiti and fly-tipping.

In January, a man from Stoke-on-Trent was ordered to pay nearly £1,200 by a magistrates court when a large amount of waste was dumped on a lay-by in the hamlet of Mill Meece, near Eccleshall.

Councillor Ian Fordham, Cabinet member for environment, urged residents to check that the person offering to take rubbish was registered to do so.

He said: “Private householders are liable for their waste. It may seem like a cheap alternative [to] paying £40 to someone to get rid of your rubbish - but if they are not a registered waste carrier then you leave yourself open to a fine or even prosecution.

"Fly-tipping, littering and other environmental crimes are a blight on our communities. They can cause environmental damage, attract anti-social behaviour, make areas look untidy, and have an adverse impact on the quality of life for our residents.

"Most of our residents are disgusted when people fly-tip in their community."