A North Shields man has been fined for fly-tipped household items in Blyth following an investigation by environmental enforcement officers at Northumberland County Council
James Forman, 24, of Front Street, Chirton, North Shields pleaded guilty at Newcastle Magistrates Court on Friday 7th June 2024 to knowingly permitting waste to be dumped in the rear lane of Salisbury Street, Blyth.
He was sentenced to a fine of £480 reduced to £320 for his early guilty plea, ordered to pay £517 in costs and a victim surcharge of £128, a total financial penalty of £965.
On Tuesday 15th August 2023 a household fridge freezer was found dumped in the rear lane of Salisbury Street, Blyth.
The whole incident was captured on Blyth's CCTV cameras with the vehicle used, a Ford Transit van, with its registration number YM04 ETE and the driver, Forman, clearly identified.
Forman had been contacted via social media and paid in cash by a householder to clear a yard of household waste. Forman attended the household with others, took away some rubbish but they discarded the fridge freezer in the lane and left – an illegal fly-tipping offence.
Officers from the Council’s Environmental Enforcement Team went to investigate and Forman, who was identified, attended an interview but declined to answer any questions.
A spokesperson for Northumberland County Council said:
”There is a growing criminal scam in which residents pay, in good faith, to have their bulky waste taken away by people posing as legitimate waste collectors, but who then, to avoid costs, go on to fly tip the very material they were being paid to pick up.”
“Fly-tipping is a serious criminal offence and takes time and money to clear up. There are so many ways to get rid of waste responsibly and most of our residents do so. No matter what the waste, or the reasons behind it, fly tipping will never be tolerated and will be dealt with firmly by this council.“
The council is advising residents to always ensure they use a registered waste carrier, who will dispose of their waste lawfully at an authorised site. They are also advised to be particularly wary of businesses that only operate through social media and do not seem to have a landline phone number or business address.
How to check a waste carrier is reputable
Visit the Environment Agency's waste carrier register and enter the business name or, search for licensed waste operators near you on the public registers pages of the website.