Man fined after online request results in flytipping

Published Tuesday 4 June 2019

A man who posted a request on Facebook asking for someone to remove rubbish from his home has been fined after it was later flytipped in a country lane.

The man, from Corby, had made the request on the social media site and when someone responded to the post offering to remove the rubbish for £80 he accepted their offer.Welham lane flytip

However, the resident failed to check whether the person taking it away was registered to legally dispose of the rubbish which was subsequently flytipped  in Welham Lane, near Market Harborough (pictured).

Evidence found amongst the rubbish helped Harborough District Council trace the rubbish back to the householder who was issued with a £300 fine.

Householders are legally responsible for any household waste produced on their property. They have a ‘duty of care’ to check that any person or business disposing of their waste is legally allowed to do so by asking to see their waste carriers licence or checking if they have one on the Environment Agency’s website.

Councillor Jonathan Bateman, Harborough District Council’s portfolio holder for environment and regulatory services, said: “Not only has this person paid out for a rogue individual to remove their rubbish; they have been fined £300 on top of it. This reaffirms the importance of checking that anyone disposing of rubbish on your behalf is legally allowed to do so.”

There are several ways to dispose of the waste that cannot go into wheeled bins:

  • Take large waste items to your local recycling and waste site (tip)
  • Use a licensed waste carrier to remove your waste - it is a legal requirement to use a licensed waste carrier (you can also check if someone has a licence on the Environment Agency website)
  • The Council’s large waste items for collection service allows for up to three large household items or 12 sacks of waste to be collected for a charge of £34.17

Find out more at www.harborough.gov.uk/tip-off