News

Shepway District Council says taking two men to court for the illegal transportation of waste demonstrates its commitment to crack down on fly-tipping.

One of the men, from St Leonards-on Sea, Sussex, pleaded not guilty to failing to secure a written description of controlled waste. He was convicted and given a six-month conditional discharge by the court and was ordered to pay £250 costs.

In a separate case, a man pleaded guilty to the same offence and also one of failing to have a waste carrier's licence. He was fined £100 for each offence and ordered to pay £35 costs.

The men were stopped in June last year on the A259 on Romney Marsh by Shepway Council's environmental officers in a joint operation with Kent Police to crack down on fly-tipping in the area.

More than 100 commercial vehicles were stopped in the successful two-day Operation Dredge and 19 Fixed Penalty Notices of £300 were issued for carrying waste without a licence.

Cllr William Richardson, Shepway Council's Cabinet Member for Technical and Environmental Health, said taking the men to court demonstrated the council's commitment to cracking down on the illegal carrying of waste and fly-tipping.

"It is important that we make it clear to any commercial waste carriers coming into Shepway that we expect them to know the rules and to have all the correct paperwork with them.

"These operations will continue and the council will not hesitate in prosecuting offenders who choose to carry waste illegally and refuse to accept responsibility for these enviro-crimes."