Home Local News Pair prosecuted for fly-tipping foul play

Pair prosecuted for fly-tipping foul play

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Two men have been prosecuted by St Helens Council in relation to a fly-tipping offence.

Raymond Wilkinson, 42, of Harlow Close and Joseph David Edge, 26, of Hemstead Close, were each ordered to pay a total of £950.62 at Liverpool, Knowsley and St Helens Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to illegally disposing over 40 bags containing commercial and aviary waste.

CCTV footage from February and March this year captured the pair on two separate occasions exiting a Vauxhall Zafira to dump bin bags, which contained a mixture of pigeon droppings, aviary and business waste, onto land next to a privately owned house in Lea Green Road, Sutton.

The waste was later retrieved by the council’s cleansing department and a sub contractor.

It is said the pair were carrying out the work on behalf of a private business charging neighbouring businesses for the disposal of waste.

After failing to attend their first court hearing, a warrant for their arrest was issued and the pair spent the night in police custody before appearing at Sefton Magistrates where they were later bailed to appear before Liverpool, Knowsley and St Helens Magistrates.

Ordering Wilkinson and Edge to each pay a £100 fine with £850.62 costs, the District Judge commented how the offences were “a deliberate act” which she believed were carried out for a profit , “albeit a small one.”

The judge also pointed out that their fine could have been a lot higher. However costs awarded were in respect of the seriousness of the offence causing unnecessary financial expense to the local authority and to prevent taxpayers being hit in the pocket, as a result.

Welcoming the prosecution, St Helens Council’s Cabinet Member for Green, Smart and Sustainable Borough, Councillor Seve Gomez-Aspron, said: “In this case the Environmental Warden team quite rightly brought the fly tippers to account – however fly tippers are just part of the problem.

“Businesses that have no trade waste arrangements in place and those that pass their waste to unregistered waste carriers with no questions asked are operating illegally and with unfair advantage to the many legitimate businesses in the borough.

“We will continue to pursue significant fixed penalty fines and prosecute these businesses as they provide a profit and incentive to fly tippers.”

To report fly-tipping, please call St Helens Council’s contact centre on: 01744 676789, or by visiting www.sthelens.gov.uk/contact-us.

Alternatively, residents can report fly-tipping on the council’s free app which can be found by searching ‘St Helens Council’ into your respective app store. This is a handy way of alerting the council with issues while out on the go.

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