A man from Shotton Colliery has been fined almost £2,000 after being caught on camera dumping waste. Robert Wright, aged 40, was secretly filmed in Black Lane, Wheatley Hill, in October 2021, unloading various waste materials over a four-minute period. The footage showed him arriving in a blue Ford transit van and dumping gas bottles, wood, cardboard, garden and building waste.
Appearing via video link, Wright pleaded guilty to fly-tipping and failing to assist an investigation into a separate fly-tipping incident in Wingate. In mitigation, Wright’s representative claimed he thought he had permission to leave waste at the Wheatley Hill site, but the court was told that Wright had no involvement in the Wingate incident.
At Peterlee Magistrates’ Court, Wright was fined £480, ordered to pay £1,465 in costs and a £48 victim surcharge. He was also disqualified from driving for six months and handed a five-year Criminal Behaviour Order, which prohibits him from carrying, transporting or transferring waste without first producing a license to Durham County Council.
Ian Hoult, neighbourhood protection manager at Durham County Council, which prosecuted Wright, urged residents to report fly-tipping incidents and provide any information or intelligence that may help track down those responsible. “Fly-tipping is an issue we know our residents feel very strongly about and we always encourage people to report any incidents to us, as well as any information or intelligence that might help us track down those responsible,” he said.
Fly-tipping is a serious environmental crime that can damage local ecosystems and pose a health risk to the public. The act of fly-tipping can also lead to increased costs for local authorities, who have to clean up the waste and dispose of it safely. Therefore, it is important to take action against individuals who commit fly-tipping offences to deter others from engaging in such behaviour.
The use of hidden cameras to catch fly-tippers in the act has become increasingly popular in recent years. This method allows authorities to gather evidence of the crime and hold those responsible accountable for their actions. By raising awareness of the consequences of fly-tipping, and taking swift action against offenders, we can help to protect our local environment and communities from this illegal activity.