Alan Fitton fined over Middleton fly-tipping

Fly-tipped waste on Hilton Fold waste land, Middleton

Alan Fitton has been fined and ordered to pay compensation after Rochdale Borough Council investigated rubbish dumped in Middleton.

The council’s environmental action team examined bags of rubbish found dumped on waste land off Hilton Fold Lane in Middleton in January 2014.

Several items of correspondence found in the waste were addressed to Alan Fitton from nearby Chaucer Road.

Fitton, 28, was asked to attend an interview in connection with the fly-tipped waste but failed to do so.

At Bury and Rochdale Magistrates’ Court on 8 March he denied fly-tipping the waste himself but admitted failing to ensure that the transfer of his household waste was to an authorised person. Fitton told the court that a builder who had been working for him had taken away the waste. He was fined £200 and ordered to pay £350 costs, £50 compensation and a £20 victim surcharge.

The prosecution is the latest the council has taken against people who have used unlicensed waste disposal firms to get rid of their rubbish.

Councillor Jacqui Beswick, Rochdale Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing and environment, said: “This and other prosecutions we have taken out should serve as a warning - it doesn’t matter if you dump rubbish yourself or pay someone to get rid of it and they dump it – we will always prosecute fly-tippers when we can.

“Fly-tipping is unnecessary and antisocial. There is no excuse for it because there are several ways that people can get rid of rubbish legitimately.”

Residents can report fly-tipping anonymously at www.rochdale.gov.uk/flytipping or by calling 0300 303 8884. Please provide as much information as possible, such as the location, the offenders address, vehicle registration and the time of the incident. All information will be treated confidentially.