'˜Campaign of criminal fly-tipping' lands man with bill for more than £4,000

A man has been fined more than £4,000 for a series of fly-tipping incidents across two counties, including three in Aylesbury Vale.
Waste dumped by John Keenan in AskettWaste dumped by John Keenan in Askett
Waste dumped by John Keenan in Askett

John Joseph Keenan, 33, of Fullers Court in Letchworth Garden City in Hertfordshire, was found guilty by magistrates earlier this week of two offences of fly-tipping and four offences of failure in duty of care regarding waste he had produced.

He was given a suspended 16 week prison sentence and ordered to pay costs of £4,749.

High Wycombe Magistrates Court heard that on September 28 2015 waste was found dumped on Duckmore Lane, Tring, Hertfordshire.

Waste dumped by John Keenan in Little MissendenWaste dumped by John Keenan in Little Missenden
Waste dumped by John Keenan in Little Missenden

A member of the public examined the waste and found items which were subsequently traced by investigators to work carried out by Mr Keenan’s company, Gladstone Home Improvements Ltd.

On 9 March 2016 an investigator found waste dumped at Bottom Lane, Seer Green which was traced to an address in Harrow.

The investigator visited the address and found newly finished driveway works by Gladstone Home Improvements Ltd.

On 12 May 2016 the investigator found waste dumped illegally by the roadside at Askett near Princes Risborough.

Waste dumped by John Keenan in Aston ClintonWaste dumped by John Keenan in Aston Clinton
Waste dumped by John Keenan in Aston Clinton

The waste had come from driveway works at a private residence in Surrey and payment for the work had been made to Mr Keenan.

On 26 May 2016 waste dumped at College Road North, Aston Clinton, was examined by a second investigator.

The waste was again traced to work carried out by Gladstone Home Improvements Ltd on a domestic property in Surrey.

On 8 August 2016 a surveillance camera targeting fly-tipping recorded images of Mr Keenan dumping a truck load of driveway waste at Halton, near Aston Clinton, from a tipper truck registered to him.

Waste dumped by John Keenan in TringWaste dumped by John Keenan in Tring
Waste dumped by John Keenan in Tring

The waste was examined for evidence and was found to have come from work carried out by Gladstone Home Improvements Ltd at Edgware, London.

On 5 October 2016 a second surveillance camera captured images of Mr Keenan’s tipper truck dumping a load of waste at Chalk Lane, Little Missenden.

Again, the waste was examined for evidence and was found to have come from work carried out by Mr Keenan.

When interviewed by police, Mr Keenan admitted duty of care failings in his working practice, but denied dumping waste himself.

Waste dumped by John Keenan in HaltonWaste dumped by John Keenan in Halton
Waste dumped by John Keenan in Halton

At court he entered guilty pleas to all charges.

Warren Whyte, Bucks County Council’s cabinet member for planning and environment said: “This case is a serious one involving a campaign of criminal fly-tipping across the county.

“In cases like this we will thoroughly investigate so that the perpetrators are brought to justice in Buckinghamshire.

“As this successful prosecution shows, we will not tolerate this sort of selfish and arrogant disregard for our environment.”