Former litter picker caught fly-tipping

Darren Paul Surridge, 27, of Salem Street, Gosberton was found guilty of fly-tipping at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court after North Kesteven District Council brought the prosecution.

He was fined £500, with £450 added on for prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £50 at the hearing, on January 16.

On July 25, a local farm worker saw Surridge clear the rubbish from his car on the B1178 near Bracebridge Heath and passed his registration number onto the council.

The waste comprised of drinks containers, food wrappers and plastic bags and included a till receipt from a local garage dated the same day. Using CCTV images from the garage of him and his car the council was able to prove further that he was out and about that night.

A council spokesman said: “Although he pleaded guilty at the earliest stage by phone and letter – and also returned to clear up the waste a couple of days later – he did not engage further with the council, failed to attend interviews and presented no defence.”

The court heard that one of his previous jobs had been as council litter picker.

He had also worked as a tyre fitter on North Kesteven District Council bin lorries.

Councillor Richard Wright, NKDC’s Executive Board Member with responsibility for enforcement, said this was a successful prosecution which showed how seriously the district council regards fly-tipping and its ‘zealous approach’ to tackling it.

Coun Wright added: “This prosecution serves as a costly reminder of the need to dispose of all waste items carefully, properly and within the law. There is no reason why this waste could not have been taken home and placed in his recycling bin or even left in a waste bin at the garage when he bought fuel not long before going out of his way to dump it on a country lane.”