Peterborough man jailed for dumping fridge of rotting food by the road

A Peterborough man who dumped a fridge full of rotting food by the side of the road has been jailed for seven days.
The fridge of rotting foodThe fridge of rotting food
The fridge of rotting food

During a house clearance in Warmington in March 2015, Nicholas Smith (44) removed a freezer full of putrid food from the property but instead of disposing of it legally, he chose to dump it on the verge of the road between Warmington and Fotheringhay.

Following a tip-off from an eagle-eyed witness, the vehicle was traced by East Northamptonshire Council’s waste team through the DVLA and Nicholas Smith was contacted as the registered owner.

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At an interview under caution, Smith admitted fly-tipping the freezer which he described as “radioactive” and so nauseating that he had to condemn the van that it was carried in. When asked what he thought would happen to the dumped fridge, he responded “I just thought someone would come and get it. I knew I shouldn’t have done it”.

The fridge of rotting foodThe fridge of rotting food
The fridge of rotting food

Smith then failed to attend court twice and so a warrant was issued for his arrest. East Northamptonshire Council was informed in December 2016 that Smith is currently remanded in custody for other matters. He was presented in court in January 2017 where he pleaded guilty to fly tipping via video link. The District Judge was limited as to what penalty and costs he could impose as it would be unlikely costs would be recovered. He therefore, sentenced him to a further seven days custody, stating “this was the best outcome in the circumstances.”

Leader of East Northamptonshire Council, Steven North, said: “We will, and do, pursue those who fly tip in our district. Our waste enforcement team works tirelessly in an effort to bring these illegal dumpers before the courts. They must not be allowed to have such total disregard for the environment and the communities where we live. We see it as a very serious offence and so do the courts, as demonstrated through this tough sentence which I hope acts as a severe warning to anyone tempted to fly tip in the future.”