A WHITE van man has been fined more than £2,000 after a vehicle he owned was linked to a fly-tipping spree in North Tyneside.
North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court ordered Andrew McAllister to pay £1,760 for breach of a section 71 notice, as well as £175 costs to North Tyneside Council, and a victim surcharge of £176.
The court was presented with a dossier of evidence that linked McAllister’s white Ford transit van to fly-tipping offences at Elsdon Terrace and Beadnell Avenue in North Shields, and Monmouth Gardens in Wallsend.
Large items of waste including double bed bases, kitchen units, floor tiles, and pieces of wood were dumped at those locations.
North Tyneside Council used photographic evidence to trace the vehicle to an address on Kirkwood Avenue, Newcastle, and served a section 71 notice requiring information about the vehicle.
When no information was provided within seven days, the council took McAllister to court and secured the conviction after he failed to assist them in a fly-tipping investigation.
Councillor John Stirling, Cabinet Member for the Environment, said: “Fly-tipping is a serious offence and blight on our communities, so it gives me some satisfaction to see such a hefty fine handed out.
“Our officers have done excellent work to make sure that the culprit was brought to justice, and I hope it sends a clear message that we will not tolerate fly-tipping or allow it to go unpunished.
“We work extremely hard to keep North Tyneside clean, safe and well-maintained and we will not allow a minority to spoil it.”
The notice was issued under section 71 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, requiring the registered keeper of the vehicle to provide information about the driver at the time of the fly-tipping offence.
Residents are encouraged to report an environmental issue online or by calling us on 0345 2000 103.