Dumped party waste costs Milton Keynes man bags of cash

A Milton Keynes man is more than £1400 out of pocket following a fly tipping offence.

Lewis Evan Hopkins, 20, of Haydock Close in Bletchley was convicted at High Wycombe Magistrates Court on September 20, 2017 after pleading guilty.

Milton Keynes Council urged to bid to build new houses

http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/milton-keynes-council-urged-to-bid-to-build-new-houses-1-8184653The Court heard that on March 4 2017 a passing motorist saw a male take a plastic bag out of the rear of a parked black Audi motor car and dump it on the ground at the side of the road.

This occurred on an unnamed road leading from Barton Hartshorn to the A421 Tingewick by-pass, Buckingham. The motorist managed to get the registration number of the Audi and the incident was reported to the police. Police attended the site of the dumping and noted that the dumped plastic bag contained empty alcohol bottles, cardboard waste and a number of small nitrous oxide canisters, the gas of which is used as a recreational drug.

The investigation was passed to The Waste Partnership for Buckinghamshire and enquiries showed that Mr Hopkins was the registered owner of the Audi on the relevant date. When interviewed at a police Station by Waste Partnership for Buckinghamshire Officers, Mr Hopkins made full admissions to the dumping.

In Court it was heard that that on the evening prior to the incident, Mr Hopkins had hosted a gathering at his house with friends. Mr Hopkins had put some empty bottles and other waste items in his car boot with the intention of disposing of them at the recycling centre. While he was driving the following day, he was lost in an unknown area and when the rattling noise of the bottles began to irritate him, so he decided to dump them at the side of the road. He accepted that it was a foolish decision to stop and dump the bag.

The magistrates fined Mr Hopkins £784 and ordered him to pay £600 towards prosecution costs, plus £78 in victim surcharge. The total to pay was therefore £1,462.

Aylesbury Vale District Council cabinet member for environment Sir Beville Stanier said: “A passing motorist took the time to take the registration number and report this incident to the police - with the result that this selfish fly-tipper has been brought to justice, and left the court with a hefty fine and costs, as well as a conviction”.

Since November 2003 the Waste Partnership for Buckinghamshire has secured more than 610 convictions against individuals and companies for illegal dumping and related offences.

This has resulted in a significant saving to the Buckinghamshire taxpayer over the period, principally through reduced removal and disposal costs.