Peterborough fly-tipper caught red-handed slapped with £300 fine

The offender allegedly claimed that “everyone does it” when confronted by a resident who saw him dumping a chest of drawers on green space at the junction of Princes Road and High Street in Fletton.

Although the culprit took his item back to his home, the resident contacted his local councillor Chris Harper who in turn notified the city council.

Enforcement officers were then sent out and are said to have discovered the chest of drawers in the offender’s front garden which, alongside a witness statement from the resident, was deemed sufficient evidence to hand out the fine.

Cllr Harper, Conservative representative for Stanground South, said: “Fly-tipping is not acceptable and I will do all I can to ensure those responsible are punished for their selfish anti-social actions.”

The fly-tipper has not been named by the council as offenders handed a fixed penalty notice rather than get taken through court are not routinely identified.

Clair George, head of the council’s prevention and enforcement service, said: “We would like to thank the resident who took action to stop this individual from dumping waste. They have not only helped to keep their neighbourhood clean and tidy, they have also saved the taxpayer the cost of removing the waste.

“Our enforcement officers cannot have eyes on the whole city so we rely on people telling us if they see fly-tipping being committed or of waste which has been dumped illegally. We encourage people to call us on 01733 74747 with as many details as possible.

“There is no excuse for dumping waste; items such as chest of drawers can be taken to the Household Recycling Centre at Fengate, or for a small fee we will collect them from people’s homes.”