Fly-tipping gang who caused misery in Northamptonshire handed hefty fine and banned from county

The Countryside Alliance has praised a local council for its action and called on others to follow suit, after a fly-tipping gang were hit with hefty fines and a ban on entering the county of Northamptonshire.

The result came after several hundred pieces of evidence were collected against them.

Andrew Birt, Albert Parker, Fred Butcher, Rosemary Todd and Kelly Parker, most recently of Lilford Road in Achurch, between Thrapston and Oundle were fined a total of £12,000 for breaching community protection notices and given criminal behaviour orders at Northampton Magistrates' Court.

The group had been operating around the county over several years, trading under the name 'Approved Roofing Services' or 'Roofing Services'. Local reports detailed how they shamelessly dumped hazardous material, human waste, and commercial waste on verges and carparks leaving council workers to clean up the mess.

Despite being given community protection notices, prohibiting them from continuing their anti-social activities, the group reportedly ignored the demands and showed 'little remorse' when met by council officers, leading to a prosecution by North Northamptonshire Council (NNC).

The group, who did not attend their magistrates' court hearing on October 12 were found guilty of breaching community protection notices and each defendant was ordered to pay just under £2,500 each in fines and costs. Additionally, all five were handed criminal behaviour orders, banning them from settling on any land in Northamptonshire without written consent of both the landowner and either North Northamptonshire Council or West Northamptonshire Council.

They are also barred from carrying out any waste services within the county.

The Countryside Alliance has welcomed the robust action taken by NNC and the courts and want more councils to follow suit.

Sarah Lee, Director of Policy and Campaigns at the Countryside Alliance said: " Fly-tipping gangs like this one cause absolute misery across the country. They show no regard for the communities and wildlife they subject to their selfish actions and all too often they go without suitable punishment. This outcome is somewhat of a rare breakthrough and it is incredibly encouraging to see a council pursue the case so thoroughly. Going after the businesses involved in fly-tipping is a challenge for authorities, but it shows that with perseverance, it can pay off. We hope to see action like this replicated nationally."

She added: " We can all do our part to help stamp out this blight by ensuring, as is legally required, you only use a registered waste collector."

The Government's most recent fly-tipping statistics for England, 2019 to 2020 revealed that while cases dealt with by councils rose by 2 per cent to 976,000 in 2019-20, the number of enforcement actions, including fixed penalties, fell by 5 per cent to 474,000

The National Fly-tipping prevention group, of which the Countryside Alliance is a member has the following advice to victims of fly-tipping:

• Be cautious. Some fly-tipped waste can be hazardous. Do not open bags or drums and be aware that piles of soil may be contaminated or hide dangerous material;
• Record as many details as possible about the waste and when you found it. If possible take a photograph of the waste;
• Report the incident – do not move the waste or remove any evidence from it until the authorities have been notified;
• Secure the waste so that it cannot be interfered with or added to;
• Remember that fly-tippers are doing something illegal – they are unlikely to welcome people observing them. Do not put yourself at risk – if fly-tipping is in progress, call 999;
• When arranging for disposal, ensure that you use a registered waste carrier, as if it is dumped elsewhere you could be held responsible and face an unlimited fine;
• Ensure that you get documentation which includes the details of the waste and who is taking it away;
• If you take the waste to a licensed waste site yourself, make sure you are registered as a waste carrier;
• If the waste is hazardous then make sure that it is being carried and disposed of by those licensed to deal with hazardous waste; and
• Keep full details of your clearance and disposal costs. Successful prosecution can mean that your costs incurred for the removal of the waste can also be recovered.