Local man fined for fly-tipping household waste
A Basingstoke man who illegally deposited household waste has been ordered to pay a total of £544 after pleading guilty to a fly-tipping offence.
Trevor Allen of Jefferson Road, Basingstoke was convicted at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 31 August after dumping two divan bed bases on a grass area to the rear of residential garages in Jefferson Road, Oakridge in October last year.
The court heard that on the afternoon of Tuesday 22 October 2020 a member of the public witnessed Mr. Allen pushing a metal trolley containing a divan bed base which he was seen to dump onto a grass area in Jefferson Road.
A short time later he was seen with another divan bed base on the trolley which was dumped alongside the first. The witness reported the incident to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.
Council officers investigated the incident and Mr. Allen was charged. He pleaded guilty to the offence and the court ordered him to pay a fine of £110 with £400 prosecution costs and a £34 victim surcharge.
Zero-tolerance to fly-tipping
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Recycling, Waste and Regulatory Services, Cllr Hayley Eachus said: “I am very grateful to the member of public who witnessed this incident and supported our prosecution against Mr Allen, who now has a criminal record as a result of his actions. The witness not only played a vital role in securing this fly-tipping conviction but has also helped to deter others from committing this offence.
“We continue to take a zero-tolerance approach to fly-tipping and I hope that this case will encourage other witnesses to come forward and help us fight this antisocial crime which is so harmful to our environment.”
Fly-tipping carries a maximum five years imprisonment at the Crown Court. Since May 2018 the council has convicted 33 individuals and companies for fly tipping and related waste offences. You can report fly-tipping to the council by calling 01256 844 844 or by visiting www.basingstoke.gov.uk/flytipping