A New Addington man has been fined £330 for dumping building waste as the council continues its Don’t Mess With Croydon – Take Pride campaign.
On Monday Patrick Barrett, of Cleves Crescent, pleaded guilty at Croydon Magistrates’ Court to two counts of dumping waste without an environmental permit last year.
The court heard that on 28 August and 4 September the 52-year-old left a total of around 18 bags of building rubble and pipes in a communal bin area in his block of flats.
Magistrates told Mr Barrett that he was negligent for not telling Croydon Council about the waste, and fined him a total of £330 that included a discount for pleading guilty.
Since launching the Don’t Mess campaign last June, the council has issued over 650 fixed penalty notices and prosecuted fly-tippers through the courts, including a man jailed for six months in May for dumping 42 tonnes of waste in Waddon.
The campaign has also recruited around 230 community champions and business owners who pledged to help keep their local area tidy.
“Illegally dumping this waste has landed Mr Barrett with a fine costing hundreds of pounds and a conviction – he could’ve got the council to clear it for as little as £60.
“We’ll track anyone who blights our borough by fly-tipping, and this case underlines that crime doesn’t pay.”
Councillor Stuart Collins, deputy leader – Clean Green Croydon
For more information about the Don’t Mess With Croydon – Take Pride campaign, visit: www.croydon.gov.uk/dontmess
To arrange a bulky waste collection, visit: www.croydon.gov.uk/environment/rrandw/collection/other-collections/bulkywaste
