Ashford householder fined over rubbish fly-tipped by stranger a couple of streets away

An Ashford resident paid £200 in cash to a complete stranger in a white lorry to take a large amount of household waste to the town’s tip – only for the rubbish to be fly-tipped just 800 metres away!

The resident’s failure to check if the stranger held an Environment Agency Waste Carriers licence – and obtain a proper receipt – has landed them with a £400 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN).

In mid-August Ashford Borough Council’s Environmental Enforcement team investigated a large fly tip discovered in Beaver Lane. Sifting through the rubbish, evidence was found relating to a resident living in nearby Eggringe in Singleton.

The Eggringe homeowner was interviewed under caution and they stated that they had paid £200 in cash to a man in a white lorry who offered to take the waste to the local tip. The rubbish was then found just a few streets away in Beaver Lane.

The resident admitted failing in their Duty of Care to carry out the relevant checks to see if the waste carrier was authorised and no receipt or invoice was obtained for payment of the service. They were given a £400 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN). If the payment is made with 10 days the fine is reduced to £300.

The leader of the Environmental Enforcement team says it “beggars belief” that despite huge amounts of recent publicity on fly-tipping, householders continue to trust “complete strangers” to dispose of their waste without asking for proof that they are licensed to do so, or obtaining a proper receipt for the transaction.

“It is vital that householders adhere to their Duty of Care and always, always ask to see the Waste Carriers Environment Agency licence. I can’t believe that residents still hand over large amounts of cash to persons that they have never dealt with before. Always get a receipt or invoice for any payments of services made and always ensure that it has the full contact details of the service provider.

An Ashford resident paid £200 in cash to a complete stranger in a white lorry to take a large amount of household waste to the town’s tip – only for the rubbish to be fly-tipped just 800 metres away!

The resident’s failure to check if the stranger held an Environment Agency Waste Carriers licence – and obtain a proper receipt – has landed them with a £400 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN).

In mid-August Ashford Borough Council’s Environmental Enforcement team investigated a large fly tip discovered in Beaver Lane. Sifting through the rubbish, evidence was found relating to a resident living in nearby Eggringe in Singleton.

The Eggringe homeowner was interviewed under caution and they stated that they had paid £200 in cash to a man in a white lorry who offered to take the waste to the local tip. The rubbish was then found just a few streets away in Beaver Lane.

The resident admitted failing in their Duty of Care to carry out the relevant checks to see if the waste carrier was authorised and no receipt or invoice was obtained for payment of the service. They were given a £400 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN). If the payment is made with 10 days the fine is reduced to £300.

The leader of the Environmental Enforcement team says it “beggars belief” that despite huge amounts of recent publicity on fly-tipping, householders continue to trust “complete strangers” to dispose of their waste without asking for proof that they are licensed to do so, or obtaining a proper receipt for the transaction.

“It is vital that householders adhere to their Duty of Care and always, always ask to see the Waste Carriers Environment Agency licence. I can’t believe that residents still hand over large amounts of cash to persons that they have never dealt with before. Always get a receipt or invoice for any payments of services made and always ensure that it has the full contact details of the service provider.

“If your waste is fly-tipped and we discover that you have failed carry out the necessary checks then you face a £400 Fixed Penalty Notice!”

Legal duty of care 

Households and also businesses have a legal duty of care when it comes to what happens to their waste. Before using someone to dispose of your rubbish you must carry out checks to ensure that the waste collectors are registered with the Environmental Agency and carry an authorised licence [see example supplied].

Beware rogue waste carriers

The Ashford team warn that fly-tippers often target households via social media or local advertising, luring customers in with cheap rates to dispose of unwanted furniture, building rubble or garden waste. But these unlicensed waste carriers often simply dump the waste wherever they can get away with it, including in Ashford’s country lanes.

Householders or small businesses found to be using these rogues to dispose of their waste can be prosecuted by the Council, with FPNs of up to £400 per offence. Failure to pay may result in court action.

You can check whether someone is licensed to carry waste by calling the Environment Agency on 03708 506506 or visit their website.

It also helps if householders receive a written receipt or transfer note, including contact details, description of waste removed and details of where the waste is being taken to

Report fly-tipping

Many of the leads that end with offenders being caught come from residents alerting the Council’s team to fly-tipping incidents by using the Report It page on our website.