Council issues fines to car park fly-tippers - and a reward to the witness

The incident in Calne was witnessed by a member of the public, who recorded the relevant details about the offender and was subsequently rewarded with a £100 shopping voucher as part of Wiltshire Council's We're Targeting Fly-tippers (WTF) campaign to encourage people to assist the council with fly-tipping investigations.

The waste in Calne was tipped next to a no-fly tipping sign and consisted of cardboard, household and food waste. The individual was formally questioned about the offence under caution and issued with a £400 FPN by the council's Enforcement Officers. 

In a separate incident, a person from Southampton was issued with a £400 FPN when they were captured on CCTV dumping waste next to the recycling bins in Sainsbury's car park in Royal Wootton Bassett.

Both car parks have become fly-tipping hotspots in recent years and attract significant amounts of waste, especially over the Christmas period. They are owned by the council but leased to Sainsbury's, which is responsible for the clearance of any fly-tipped waste. The council closely monitors the areas and has issued several FPNs to people and business in recent years for dumping waste at these sites, despite a number of no-fly tipping signs.

Cllr Caroline Thomas, Cabinet Member for Highways and Street Scene, said: Whether it's a car park or the countryside, we are committed to tackling environmental crimes such as fly-tipping.

We have invested significant sums in equipment and officers to crackdown on fly-tipping in Wiltshire, as part of our Business Plan commitment and zero-tolerance approach.

Our We're Targeting Fly-tippers (WTF) campaign is having an effect on reducing fly-tipping in Wiltshire, but the fight continues and our message is clear - we will take action and prosecute fly-tippers. We also offer rewards for information that leads to a successful fly-tipping prosecution or fine, and I'd like to thank the witness in this case who helped us to secure the FPN.

Recycling banks can attract significant amounts of fly-tipping over the Christmas period, and I would advise anyone to think twice before dumping waste at locations like this.

Anybody who is issued with a FPN cannot be named as it is not a conviction in an open court.

To find out how to report fly-tipping in Wiltshire and to report it, plus more about the WTF campaign and how people who report fly-tipping could get a reward, people should go to: www.wiltshire.gov.uk/fly-tipping.