Flytippers had been paid to take waste from Hereford Poundstretcher shop

John Alfred Hodgkins and Isaac Jimmy Janes entered guilty pleas when they appeared before magistrates in Hereford.

The court heard the pair had dumped controlled waste including woodchip, plywood, plasterboard, doors, and other general waste stripped from the Poundstretcher store in Hereford's Eign Gate in a layby on the B4203 at Bromyard Downs between October 10 and 19, 2019.

40-year-old Hodgkins and 48-year-old Janes also admitted tipping similar materials stripped from the same property on a lane in Acton Green between the same dates.

At the hearing, the court heard how in October 2019, Hodgkins and Janes had been paid £400 to take away refurbishment waste from the shop.

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.

Hodgkins, of Redstone Lane, Stourport, and Janes, of Layman Walk, Stourport, were both fined a total of £520 and were each ordered to pay costs of £500 and a £52 victim surcharge.

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.”

The Community Protection Team will investigate unlawful waste disposal and fly tipping cases that are reported via the Herefordshire Council website or by calling 01432 261761.

Visit www.herefordshire.gov.uk/recycling for information about responsible waste disposal for residents and businesses.