Fly-tipper ordered to carry out unpaid work after dumping waste

Ian Wilkinson claimed to operate a legitimate business and was paid by customers on multiple occasions to collect and dispose of their rubbish.

However, instead of disposing of the waste responsibly, the 31-year-old dumped it on streets and green spaces across Newcastle.

In July last year, a toilet, bath, sink and flooring was among the waste left by Wilkinson on Strathmore Crescent in North Benwell.

The following month, sofas, wood, broken cabinets and cardboard boxes were dumped on Riverside Way in Lemington.

A further pile of waste, including a bathtub, sink, a large amount of wood, laminate flooring and tiles, was then discovered by the entrance to a field off North Walbottle Road in the Chapel House area of the city.

Following an investigation by Newcastle City Council’s environmental protection team, the piles of rubbish were traced back to Wilkinson.

On August 21, Wilkinson was stopped by police while driving a white Ford Transit van in Ponteland and the vehicle was seized on behalf of the council.

Wilkinson, of Cragston Avenue, Blakelaw, pleaded guilty to three counts of depositing waste on land without an environmental permit and one count of transporting waste without being a registered waste carrier.

Appearing at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court on January 18, Wilkinson was handed a 12-month community order, which required him to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £114 and prosecution and compensation costs of £981.11.

The community order will run alongside another order for obstructing police and driving while disqualified. Wilkinson gave a false name when the police seized the van used for fly-tipping.

Cllr Irim Ali, Cabinet member for a Dynamic City at Newcastle City Council, said: “Fly-tipping is a deeply selfish act that blights our beautiful communities and can cost the taxpayer money.

“Nobody deserves to have waste and filth strewn across their streets and green spaces, simply because one individual thought they could make a quick profit.

“I am pleased with the court's decision and I hope this acts as a deterrent to others.

“I would also like to remind residents that if they are looking to get rid of their waste, please always make sure that the person offering to take it is legitimate and is registered with the Environment Agency.”

To find registered waste carriers, visit https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/index.

To report a fly-tipping incident, call the Council on 0191 278 7878 and ask for environmental health or email psr@newcastle.gov.uk.

• National statistics on fly-tipping published this week for 2022/23, identified that more than half of the prosecutions taken in the North East for fly-tipping were taken by Newcastle City Council. All of the prison sentences secured and half the community orders, resulted from these cases. One third of the prison sentences nationally resulted from Newcastle prosecutions.