A man who was caught fly-tipping by a hidden camera has been ordered to pay over £1,000.
Durham County Council took legal action against Lee Garthwaite, of Cheviot Place in Peterlee, after waste was found at a substation in the Sunny Blunts area of the town.
Cameras installed by the council recorded Garthwaite pulling up to the substation in a van, getting out of the vehicle and dumping the bags of rubbish at the site.
Garthwaite was then recorded leaving a green wheelie bin, which appeared to be overflowing with rubbish and had a house number on it, before driving away.
Checks into the van identified Garthwaite as the driver, and neighbourhood wardens wrote to him asking that he contact the council about the incident.
When he did not respond, the authority issued a Section 108 notice requiring Garthwaite attend an interview which he failed to show up for.
The 43-year-old was then taken to Peterlee Magistrates Court, where he pleaded guilty to depositing waste without an environmental permit and failing to assist with a fly-tipping investigation.
He was ordered to pay a £200 fine, £747 costs and a victim surcharge of £80, totalling £1,027.
Ian Hoult, Durham County Council’s neighbourhood protection manager, said: “There are lots of ways to dispose of waste responsibly in County Durham, whether that’s through household waste collections, our Household Waste Recycling Centres, or bulky waste collections. There really is no excuse to dump rubbish, which only serves to damage the environment and impact communities.
“We knew the area around Sunny Blunts had suffered fly-tipping and littering, so we installed cameras to increase our enforcement in the area, which is an approach we take right across the county. We were able to catch Mr Garthwaite in the act, and he must now face the consequences of his actions.
“This case should serve as a warning to those thinking of fly-tipping that we are always watching, and we will take action against those who dump their rubbish irresponsibly.”
