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Suspended sentence handed down to fly tipper

AN Eastham man was handed a custodial sentence by Wirral Magistrates last week after pleading guilty to 3 fly tipping charges. George Stanley of Norley Avenue, Eastham, was handed a 3 month sentence; suspended for 12 months; for 3 offences under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in a prosecution brought by Wirral Council. These charges related to incidents that occurred in April 2015 when Mr Stanley deposited mixed domestic waste, bagged and loose waste which appeared to be builders' waste and a freezer from a van and trailer on Commercial Road and Riverbank Road, Bromborough. Mr Stanley had pleaded guilty to these offences, on 18 April 2016 and the case was adjourned for probation reports.

At a hearing on 3 May 2016, magistrates found that the tipping was a deliberate act causing category 2 harm, in part due to the potential for release of noxious substances from the freezer. As a result, Mr Stanley received the custodial sentence, along with a 12 month Community Order and a 15 day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement, which will allow him to address issues linked to his offending behaviour. He has also been directed to attend a Problem Solving Hearing at the Magistrates Court on 9 June 2016. Mr Stanley was ordered to pay full costs applied for by the Council of £1,200. This included clean up costs, investigation costs and legal charges. In addition to costs, he was also directed to pay a Victim Surcharge of £80.

New fines may not stem rising tide of dumped rubbish, warns CLA

THE CLA in the North has welcomed new fixed penalty notices for fly tipping, which have come into force, but fears they may not be enough to stem the rising tide of refuse dumped in rural areas. Since 9 May 2016 local authorities will be able to issue fines for small scale fly tipping of up to £400, as an alternative to prosecution, following the introduction of new government regulations on the unauthorised deposit of waste. According to figures from Defra, 900,000 fly tipping incidents were dealt with by local authorities in England during 2014/15. The CLA, which represents landowners, farmers and rural businesses, says these figures exclude much of the waste dumped on farmland and other private land where it poses risks to local wildlife, farm animals and the environment. Landowners are liable for any waste that is fly tipped on their land and can be prosecuted if they do not clear it away, often at considerable cost to their business. CLA North Regional Director Dorothy Fairburn said:- "According to government figures, there were less than 2,000 prosecutions for fly tipping in 2015, which is why more effective action is urgently needed. The problem seems to have worsened recently in some areas, possibly as a result of local authorities making changes to their household recycling operations, and the CLA has been calling for offenders to be dealt with more robustly. Fixed penalty notices alone will not solve the problem as they only work if the offender is caught in the act. Farmers and rural landowners need to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the Police."