Rochdale man convicted of fly-tipping offence

A Rochdale man has been fined over £1,000 for his connection with a fly tipping incident in Heywood.

Anthony Kay, of Henley Terrace, Rochdale, appeared at Rochdale Magistrates Court on Wednesday (2 March 2011) where he admitted to being the owner of a vehicle from which bricks and rubble were fly-tipped at Chamber House, Heywood.

Mr Kay accepted responsibility for the fly-tipping because he owned the vehicle involved - but denied being the driver of the vehicle at the time of the offence.

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 states that whoever is in control of, or who is in a position to control, the vehicle from which waste is fly-tipped is equally liable for the offence.

Mr Kay was ordered to pay £1190.91 in fines and costs.

Councillor Terry Linden, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “This case emphasises the need for owners of vehicles to be extra vigilant of who they allow to drive their vehicles and what they are doing when using them. By allowing someone to use a vehicle from which it’s been proven waste was fly-tipped the law allows councils to pursue the vehicle owner to recover our costs for cleaning it up.

“We are recovering public money that’s put into the system to provide essential services – not to clear up rubbish that people have disposed of irresponsibly.”