Darlington man fined for fly tipping offences
A Darlington man has been ordered to pay fines and costs totalling more than £1,080 after being found guilty of fly tipping offences.
Lee Bradly, 35, of Burnside Road, who advertised on social media as LB Removals, was found guilty in his absence at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (2 April) of three offences relating to a large fly tip on Lime Lane, Darlington in October last year.
The charges were one each of breaching Section 34(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in that he failed in his duty of care in the carriage, control or disposal of waste – a caravan containing waste – and disposed of it in Lime Lane; Section 1 of the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989 in that he transported controlled waste without an environmental permit or other lawful authority and a breach of Section 110(2)(a) of the Environment Act by failing to comply with a requirement to provide details of other involved in committing an illegal waste disposal.
Bradley was fined £420 and ordered to pay costs of £492.70 and a victim Surcharge of £168.
The court heard that on 11 October 2024 civic enforcement officers from the council attended a report of a large fly tip on Lime Lane. It appeared to be a caravan containing waste and had been set alight.
Investigations revealed the rubbish came from a property in Geneva Road, where the landlord had enlisted Bradley to take various items, including a caravan, away for disposal.
Bradley was interviewed and stated he had got another man to take the items away, but had assisted in loading the rubbish onto the caravan and received payment of £500 from the landlord. He then paid part of the fee to the other man, who allegedly took the caravan to his own property, where it was stolen but it was never reported to police.
Bradley was asked if he had a Waste Management Licence or Waste Operator’s Licence, to which he stated he had neither. He was issued with a notice to provide details of the other man involved in the removal of the waste, who he claimed had since died, but failed to do so.
He attended court on 26 March, but the case was adjourned to 2 April to allow him to seek legal advice, but when he failed to appear magistrates heard the case in his absence.
Councillor Jim Garner, the council’s cabinet member for stronger communities, said: “This case sends a clear message that we can and do take action against those who flout the law and failing to provide information to assist our investigations are also offences.
“Our staff work hard to keep our streets, back lanes and open spaces clean and fly tipping of any kind will not be tolerated.”
If you need to report a fly tip, or you see anyone fly tipping, you can report it online via our website at www.darlington.gov.uk/doitonline
Image shows the remains of the caravan and waste fly tipped in Lime Lane.