A MAN has been fined after pleading guilty to flytipping in the Cotswolds.

Gloucester resident Christopher Paxton, appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court on October 8, for dumping waste in a field near Kingscote while impersonating a registered waste contractor.

Cotswold District Council officials learned that Mr Paxton collected the waste from a Tetbury resident who had contacted Mr Paxton’s services through Facebook.

When first questioned, Mr Paxton lied to evade prosecution but changed his plea to guilty when confronted by the evidence.

Mr Paxton was found guilty and was fined £150, ordered to pay the council £400 towards legal costs and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £30, bringing the overall total to £580.

Cllr Sue Coakley, cabinet member for environment at CDC, said: “I hope that Mr. Paxton’s prosecution sends out a message to other rogue waste collectors who attempt to flout the law in this way.

“Facebook is a very useful resource but it does have its limitations, and I must stress that anyone who engages a third party to remove waste must check that they have a valid licence before they undertake the work.

"A lot of people do not realise that they can be prosecuted for failing to exercise this duty of care should the third party subsequently commit a fly tipping offence.

“There are good arrangements in place for everyone to dispose of their waste legally so there is absolutely no excuse for fly tipping.

"The magistrate noted that fly tippers are killing the countryside, and we will continue to use every means at our disposal to reduce the number of incidents in the Cotswolds.

"We are always grateful for tip-offs from the public who can call us directly on 01285 623123 to report any suspicious activity."