Flytipper punished after rubbish traced to Aylesbury home

A flytipper who dumped waste in the countryside has been fined and handed community service after items in the rubbish led investigators to an Aylesbury home.
The waste that was flytipped by GeeThe waste that was flytipped by Gee
The waste that was flytipped by Gee

Steven Gee, 38, of Chalgrove Walk, Aylesbury, pleaded guilty to fly tipping at Wycombe Magistrates' Court on 18 September 2019.

The court heard that a large amount of waste had been dumped in a field gateway on Ford Road, Dinton, on or before 27 December 2018.

Enforcement Officers from Buckinghamshire County Council carried out an investigation and traced the rubbish to a house in Aylesbury, where building work had been carried out.

The householder and contractor, however, had complied with their duty of care over the transfer of the waste, and were able to furnish details of the person who had been paid to take away the waste – Steven Gee.

Investigators interviewed Gee, who admitted to taking payment to dispose of waste. He had burnt a portion of the waste, but then went on to dump the rest by the roadside.

Taking into account the offender's circumstances, the magistrates imposed the following penalties:

• a 12-month community order, to include 80 hours unpaid work

• attendance on an approved Thinking Skills Programme

• 10 days' rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR)

• a victim surcharge of £85

• costs of £975.90

Aylesbury Vale District Council cabinet member for environment and leisure Paul Irwin, speaking on behalf of the Waste Partnership for Buckinghamshire, said: "When the waste in this case was traced back to a residential address, the householder was able to show that they had complied with their obligations and kept details of the waste carrier they had used. At that point, liability for the fly tipping moved from the householder to the man who had actually dumped the waste."

The case was prosecuted by Buckinghamshire County Council working on behalf of the Waste Partnership for Buckinghamshire.

The Waste Partnership launched the #SCRAPflytipping campaign in August 2018 to reduce fly-tipping in Buckinghamshire. The Partnership has secured over 720 convictions against individuals and companies for illegal dumping and related offences.

On average since April 2010, there has been at least one conviction per week for illegal dumping offences in Buckinghamshire. This has resulted in a halving of reported incidents and a significant saving to the Buckinghamshire taxpayer over the period, principally through reducing removal and disposal costs.

Report fly-tipping in Buckinghamshire at www.fixmystreet.buckscc.gov.uk