A man who paid for a mattress and other waste to be dumped in Peterborough has been ordered to pay nearly £300 at court.

Peterborough City Council said that Georgi Atanasov of Middleton, Bretton, paid a man £20 to dispose of a mattress along with bags and boxes of household waste which was then found dumped in a verge at White Post Road South in Eye.

When council officers examined the waste they found evidence containing Atanasov’s name and address – leading to a prosecution.

He appeared at Cambridge Magistrates' Court and pleaded guilty to failing to properly dispose of waste. Peterborough City Council said that Atanasov (35) was ordered to pay a total of £281 in combined costs and a fine.

placeholder image — Some of the fly-tipped waste

Councillor Chris Wiggin, Cabinet Member for Environment, welcomed the sentencing, and said: “This successful prosecution shows that we take fly-tipping extremely seriously and will take action against anyone committing it or neglecting their duty of care to dispose of waste properly.

"If you pay an unlicensed trader to dispose of waste and your waste is later found fly-tipped, you could be fined or prosecuted. We also want to remind residents that there are several ways to get rid of waste legally, such as by visiting our Household Recycling Centre in Fengate, using a licensed waste company or our bulky waste collection service."

For more information and how to find registered waste carriers locally visit https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/bins-waste-and-recycling/fly-tipping-litter-graffiti-street-cleaning/registered-waste-carriers. You can also sell or donate unwanted items by using social media groups or websites such as eBay, Gumtree and Freecycle. Any items with a plug, cable or battery can be recycled - visit the Recycle Your Electricals website (https://recycleyourelectricals.org.uk/) to find your nearest drop-off point.

If you witness someone fly-tipping, call the police on 999 and report it as a crime in progress. All instances of fly-tipping should also be reported to Peterborough City Council as the local waste authority, whether you witnessed the fly-tipping taking place or not.

You can report fly-tipping to the city council online or by calling 01733 747474. The phone line is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.