A Southampton resident has been issued with a £1,000 fixed penalty notice (FPN) after two black bags of household waste were found fly-tipped on a country lane in Burcombe, near Salisbury.
Environmental Enforcement officers attended the scene following a report of waste discarded near the riverbank. During their investigation, officers were able to trace the bags back to a property in Southampton.
When contacted, the individual claimed they had stopped at the location to change a flat tyre. They explained that, to access the spare wheel stored in the boot, they had removed two bags of household waste and other items, placing them on the roadside. They admitted to driving away without remembering to put the bags back into the vehicle. However, the waste was later found further down the riverbank, close to the watercourse and not at the roadside where they claimed to have left it. They were issued a £1,000 FPN for fly-tipping, which has since been paid in full. As an FPN is not a court conviction, the individual cannot be named.
Cllr Martin Smith, Cabinet Member for Highways, said: “Fly-tipping is completely unacceptable, and we remain committed to holding anyone who disposes of waste illegally to account.
“In this case, the individual had several simple and legal options to manage their household waste, including putting it out for their regular waste collection or taking it to their local household recycling centre. Instead, the bags were left at the roadside, with the person claiming to have forgotten them after changing a tyre.
“Fly-tipping, whether intentional or through carelessness, damages our countryside, threatens rivers and wildlife, and leaves landowners facing the burden of clearing it up. Our Environmental Enforcement officers will continue to investigate all reports thoroughly and take firm action wherever the evidence allows.”
For more information on how Wiltshire Council tackles fly-tipping, or to report an incident, visit www.wiltshire.gov.uk/fly-tipping.
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