Former resident found guilty of fly tipping business waste at Haugh Woods
Herefordshire Council has won an enforcement case against a man found guilty of fly tipping and failing in his duty of care when disposing of business waste at Haugh Woods, Hereford.
On Tuesday 21 February 2023, Hereford magistrates heard how in May 2022, an Enforcement Officer from Herefordshire Council’s, Community Protection Team, had found evidence in fly tipped waste relating to a business owned by Sam Luke Richards (32) of Meadow Park, Hereford.
Sam Richards had informed the investigating officer that he had obtained details from the profile of an individual, advertising as a waste collector on Facebook and had paid the person to take his business waste away. However, Enforcement Officers discovered that Richards had fabricated the story, provided false information and had made a fake Facebook profile of the waste collector.
Sam Richards now of Bilford Road, Worcester, pleaded guilty to fly tipping and transporting waste without a waste carriers licence and was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £1880.
Marc Willimont, Herefordshire Council’s Head of Public Protection, said:
“Here we see yet another case where someone thinks it’s ok to dump rubbish and then cover your tracks by making up a story when challenged by our Enforcement Officers. Using the excellent evidence provided by our officers, we are pleased that the court saw through this and fined him, also helping us to recover some of our costs."
The maximum penalty for fly-tipping is an unlimited fine and/ or five years imprisonment.
Our Community Protection Team will investigate unlawful waste disposal, fly-tipping & business waste Duty of Care offences. Fly Tipping can be reported via the council’s website or by calling 01432 261761.
Visit herefordshire.gov.uk/recycling for information about responsible waste disposal.