TWO residents have been issued with £400 fines for trusting a rogue waste collector with their rubbish.
Wiltshire Council issued these hefty fixed penalty notices after the residents from Purton and Cricklade failed to check the details of someone who offered 'tip run' services.
Both individuals paid in cash to have their waste taken away, which was subsequently found fly-tipped on Collins Lane, Purton and on land off Cirencester Road, Latton.
The council has not been able to trace the people responsible for dumping the waste and because both residents failed to comply with their household waste duty of care or provide information to identify the fly-tippers, they were issued with fines.
Wiltshire Council said if they had correctly checked the waste carriers licence details with the Environment Agency and noted down the licence number, along with other details such as the vehicle registration and a description of the person, the council could have taken action against the people who dumped the rubbish, rather than the two residents.
Cllr Caroline Thomas, Cabinet Member for Streetscene, said: “Householders must take responsibility for their waste and ensure it does not end up in the hands of rogue waste operators, or they could end up with a fixed penalty notice – as in this case.
“The best way to protect yourself from fines, and reduce the damage fly-tipped waste causes the environment, is to ensure the business taking away your waste is fully licensed.
"You can check the Environment Agency website, and you should record the details of the vehicle and people who take away your waste.
“Fly-tipping is a blight on Wiltshire, and as we have set out in our Business Plan, we will take action against perpetrators and pursue prosecutions.
"We welcome the Government’s announcement that the fines for environmental offences will be significantly increase, and our Enforcement team is working hard to ensure fly-tippers face justice.”
The household waste duty of care fixed penalty notice is currently set at £400 (reduced to £200 if paid within 10 days) and is likely to increase to £600 in the near future, as part of the Government’s action plan to reduce anti-social behaviour.
However, the penalty for people caught fly-tipping is set to increase from £400 to £1,000 as part of the same plan.
People can report waste collectors that they suspect of being unlicensed online.
If the information they report leads to the successful prosecution of an offender or the payment of an FPN, they could earn a reward of up to £200 in high street vouchers.
To find out more and report offenders visit www.wiltshire.gov.uk/fly-tipping
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