Peterborough man fined after fridges and freezers dumped at roadside.

Liam Waters, of Salix Road, Peterborough, paid an unknown man £40 to dispose of a number of fridges and freezers and other items from his food business in September last year.

The waste was later found fly-tipped in New Road, Chatteris, by a member of Fenland District Council’s Street Cleansing team.

The Council’s Street Scene team launched an investigation which led them to Waters’ business address in Peterborough. He said he was carrying out refurbishments, and his neighbour had told him about a “scrap dealer” who could take away some white goods he needed to get rid of.

Waters appeared before Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court earlier this month when he admitted paying a man to take his rubbish away and failing in his duty of care to ensure his commercial waste was legally disposed of. He was fined £300 and ordered to pay a £34 victim surcharge and a contribution towards costs of £250.

In mitigation, Waters’ solicitor said he did not realise that not checking who was taking away his rubbish would lead to the consequences that it did.

Cllr Peter Murphy, Fenland District Council Cabinet member for Environment, said: “It is vital that anyone who needs waste taken away checks the credentials of the waste provider. They should be able to provide you with their waste licence and a receipt confirming where the waste will be taken.

“Any reputable contractor will have no problem providing this information. If you are in any doubt about whether the person or company removing your waste is licenced to do so, please do not use them. Services that sound too good to be true often are and if your waste ends up illegally dumped, you will be held responsible.”