Handing rubbish to white van men leads to almost £1,000 penalty

Rubbish dumped in the entrance to farmland near Papworth Everard has led to a builder living 25 miles away being hit with a bill for nearly £1,000.

Mr Rajwinder Singh, aged 33, of The Almonds, Kempston, Bedfordshire, pleaded guilty at Cambridge Magistrate’s court to failing in his duty of care to ensure that waste he had taken from a job was disposed of lawfully under Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Mr Singh said that he had allowed two men in a white van to take away rubbish which was later dumped in the countryside in South Cambridgeshire.

South Cambridgeshire District Council investigators traced the dumped rubbish back to the home owner who was having renovations done by Mr Singh. The Council took action as Mr Singh had failed to ensure that the people he let take away the rubbish had a Waste Carrier’s Licence from the Environment Agency.

At court Mr Singh pleaded guilty and was fined £200 with costs of £760 awarded to the Council. He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £30.

The investigation began after a local resident reported a large amount of builder’s waste in the entrance to farmland off the A1198 Papworth by-pass.

Cllr Nick Wright, Deputy Leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “Our officers have done a great job taking action in this case. It demonstrates that fly tipping will not be tolerated and that we will take a hard line on anyone who does it, or fails to make sure their waste is disposed of correctly. We are very grateful to our residents for reporting fly tipping – please keep doing this as it helps us get it cleared up and investigate the culprits wherever possible. If you see someone in the act try to get as many details about the vehicle and the person you see doing it as possible as this gives us more chance to bring them to book.”