Residents are being reminded of their legal duty to dispose of waste correctly after a man was fined for having waste collected by an unlicensed trader which was then fly-tipped.
Georgi Atanasov of Middleton, Bretton, paid a man £20 to dispose of a mattress along with bags and boxes of household waste which was then found dumped in a verge at White Post Road South in Eye.
When council officers examined the waste they found evidence containing Atanasov’s name and address.
He appeared at Cambridge Magistrates' Court recently and pleaded guilty to failing to properly dispose of waste. Atanasov (35) was ordered to pay £281 in combined costs and a fine.
Councillor Chris Wiggin, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “This successful prosecution shows that we take fly-tipping extremely seriously and will take action against anyone committing it or neglecting their duty of care to dispose of waste properly.
"If you pay an unlicensed trader to dispose of waste and your waste is later found fly-tipped, you could be fined or prosecuted. We also want to remind residents that there are several ways to get rid of waste legally, such as by visiting our Household Recycling Centre in Fengate, using a licensed waste company or our bulky waste collection service."
For more information and how to find registered waste carriers locally visit our registered waste carriers webpage. You can also sell or donate unwanted items by using social media groups or websites such as eBay, Gumtree and Freecycle. Any items with a plug, cable or battery can be recycled - visit the Recycle Your Electricals website to find your nearest drop-off point.
If you witness someone fly-tipping, call the police on 999 and report it as a crime in progress. All instances of fly-tipping should also be reported to us as the local waste authority, whether you witnessed the fly-tipping taking place or not.
You can report fly-tipping to us online or by calling 01733 747474. The phone line is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.