A man from Kent has been convicted of fly-tipping and fined £3,000 and ordered to pay £6,000 in costs and a £1,200 victim surcharge totalling £10,200 for illegally dumping waste in Croydon.
Steven Bassett was found guilty under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 after a resident’s CCTV captured the fly-tipping incident and they reported it to the Council.
The Council encourages anyone who sees dumped waste to report it through the Love Clean Streets app. The Council’s proactive fly-tipping clearing service clears 98% of reported fly-tips within 24 hours.
The Council worked closely with Kent Police to ensure the defendant’s attendance at court for an earlier stage in the proceedings, following the issue of an arrest warrant by the court for failing to attend a court hearing.
It is a key priority of Executive Mayor Jason Perry to make Croydon a cleaner, safer and healthier place to live, work and visit.
The Council will not tolerate the illegal dumping of waste in the borough and will seek to prosecute offenders.
During sentencing remarks, the District Judge found the offence to have caused localised harm to the environment as defined by the relevant sentencing guidelines.
“Keeping the streets clean and restoring pride in our borough is a key priority to me.
“Fly-tipping is horrible, it makes areas look untidy and can make them feel unsafe. When residents and businesses report fly-tips to us, we clear them quickly – 98% of them within 24 hours.
“This prosecution is a great example of how when residents work with us, a real difference can be made. I encourage everyone to report environmental issues like fly-tipping to us when they see it, and to let us know if they have any more information about specific incidents.”
Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon
