Travellers heavily fined for putting '40 tonnes' of waste on Tooting Common
Travellers squatting on Tooting Common, in south London have been "heavily" fined after being suspected of dumping huge amounts of waste in the area.
Wandsworth Council took legal action against them after "huge quantities" of construction waste was discovered in the common.
The travellers left behind "huge quantities" of construction waste during a three day occupation, Wandsworth council say.
According to the council, around 40 tonnes of timber, rubble, mattresses, furniture and other household waste appeared on the common at the same time as the travellers, who’d arrived in a fleet of 19 caravans, cars and transit vans.
Following a joint investigation by the council and the Met Police, evidence was compiled linking Patrick and Frances Corcoran, both of St Andrew’s Crescent in Wellinborough, Northamptonshire and Lionel Brown of Tavistock Road, West Drayton, Middlesex with flat-bed trucks and transit vans that were believed to be involved in the dumping of the rubbish.
At South Western magistrates court on Wednesday all three were convicted in their absence and each was fined £500 and ordered to pay costs of £225 plus a victim surcharge of £50.
The council’s environment spokesman Cllr Jonathan Cook said:
Mr Cook added: