Local company fined for fly-tipping

The prosecution followed an incident where a lorry in a poor state of repair and filled with over 200 tyres was dumped in a layby off the Staines Bypass in Ashford in December 2021.

Council officers began their investigation of the fly-tipped waste shortly after it was reported to them, which revealed that the defendant company purchased the lorry six months earlier.

After hearing closing submissions following a two day trial, the business, represented by a company director, was ordered to pay fines, costs and compensation totalling £5,500, reflecting the seriousness of the offence.

Cllr Malcolm Beecher, Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee, said: "Fly-tipping is a blight on our community and a drain on Spelthorne's taxpayers so we are determined to take a firm stance when it happens. This prosecution is a reminder to residents and businesses that they must take their waste to a registered site or use a registered waste carrier. They will be fined if their waste is fly-tipped and they are unable to show they took reasonable steps to prevent it."

To report fly-tipping, visit www.spelthorne.gov.uk or call 01784 451499.