Two men fined for fly tipping in Bromyard

Herefordshire Council has won an Enforcement case against two friends who were found guilty of fly tipping two loads of waste

Fly tipped waste at Acton Green
Author: Phoebe GreggorPublished 16th Mar 2021

John Hodgkins (40) of Redstone Lane, Stourport-On-Severn and Isaac Janes (48) of 78 Layman Walk, Stourport-On-Severn both pleaded guilty to two counts of fly tipping at Hereford Magistrates’ Court on 9 March 2021. The pair received fines and costs totalling £1072.00 each.

At the hearing, the court heard how in October 2019, Hodgkins and Janes had been paid £400 to take away refurbishment waste from the former Poundstretcher store on Eign Gate, Hereford.

The waste was later found dumped in two large piles on Bromyard downs and in a layby just off the Acton Green crossroads. Although no evidence was found in the fly tipping, officers from Herefordshire Council’s Community Protection Team were able to obtain CCTV and ANPR images to trace the offenders.

David Hough, Herefordshire Council’s Trading Standards Service Manager, said: “Not only is fly tipping an environmental hazard and a blight on our beautiful county, it can also cause accidents on the roads and injuries to livestock, wildlife and people. Every single year, tens of thousands of pounds of council tax payers’ money is spent on tackling fly tipping and unlawful waste disposal.

“For these reasons, we take improper waste disposal very seriously. Anyone found fly tipping will be prosecuted, with the maximum penalty being a £50,000 fine and/or 5 years imprisonment, so it really isn’t worth the risk.”