Delivery driver forced to pay more than £4.5k after fly-tipping rubbish on Wiltshire road

A delivery driver who dumped rubbish on land off a road in Wiltshire has been forced to pay more than £4500 for fly-tipping.

Luke Poulton, from Warminster, dumped rubbish including a mattress, a bin and old fencing on land off Short Street, in Chapmanslade.

He had been paid £50 each by two Westbury residents to collect and dispose of rubbish lawfully but failed to take the rubbish to a commercial tip.

The 30-year-old pleaded guilty during a hearing at Salisbury Magistrates Court on Monday 9 October.

He was ordered to pay £4,425 for fly-tipping and was also issued with a separate fine of £135 to cover the clean-up costs.

Cllr Caroline Thomas, Cabinet Member for Transport and Street Scene, said: "Fly-tipping is not just unsightly but potentially damaging to the environment and wildlife, and is a criminal offence.

She added the council has a "zero-tolerance approach to fly-tipping" and takes the issue "very seriously".

"As part of our Business Plan commitment, we have invested significant funds into extra enforcement officers and technologies including covert cameras," she added.

"As this prosecution shows, we will take action."