Two people fined £400 for fly-tipping in Kent

Two people in Ashford have been fined £400 for fly-tipping.

Ashford's Environmental Enforcement Team discovered two separate piles of household rubbish while on patrol on a country lane in Great Chart.

One fly tip consisted of 15 black bags containing household waste including food waste, food packaging, clothes, a large piece of wood and a green builder's bag containing broken up pieces of wood.

Sifting through the rubbish, it was traced back to a man living in Singleton. During interview he said that he paid a man in a van to remove waste from his home.

However, he did not ask to see an Environment Agency Waste Carrier's License or receive a receipt after handing over cash.

The team also found six bags of household rubbish in a ditch in Ninn Lane. Evidence was found addressed to a woman also living in Singleton. She admitted fly-tipping the waste herself.

Both the man and the woman handed a £400 Fixed Penalty Notice.

A spokesman for the Environmental Enforcement team said,"It is vital that householders adhere to their Duty of Care and always ask to see the Waste Carriers Environment Agency licence.

"I can't believe that residents still hand over large amounts of cash to people 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."

Households and businesses have a legal duty of care when it comes to what happens to their waste.

You can check whether someone is licensed to carry waste by calling the Environment Agency on 03708 506506 or visit their website at: environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers        

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