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Hall Green fly-tipping incident costs man his van

Published: Monday, 22nd October 2018

A Tipton man who was linked to a fly-tipping case in Hall Green earlier this year has been ordered to pay £3,620 and to forfeit his van by Birmingham Magistrates’ Court.

The van of George Anderson, aged 24, of Fisher Street was used during an incident in which a metal cabinet was dumped on Scribers Lane on May 27 of this year.

A Birmingham City Council CCTV camera deployed at the location to capture such fly-tipping filmed the incident.

Anderson claimed his brother was filmed dumping the cabinet in the CCTV footage.

But Anderson himself was convicted based upon him being a person who controls or is in a position to control the use of the vehicle used in the commission of the offence

That means he was thereby treated as knowingly causing the waste to be deposited whether or not he gave any instructions for this to be done.

Officers from the council’s Waste Enforcement Unit attended Anderson’s address on June 26 and seized the vehicle as part of their enquiries, with the court confirming during the hearing on Friday (October 19) that the council could keep the vehicle.

It will now be assessed to decide whether it can be put to use for the benefit of the community/taxpayer, sold to help fund services or crushed if of no economic benefit.

Anderson was fined £180 and made to pay £3,440 costs in addition to forfeiture of the vehicle to help prevent any such future offences.

Previously he was convicted for waste-related offences in November 2016 and December 2017 - and as a result of this latest prosecution, had 150 hours added to an existing order to carry out unpaid community work.

Cllr Majid Mahmood, Cabinet Member for Clean Streets, Waste and Recycling, said: “Whether it is one bag of rubbish, a fridge or the contents of a house clearance, any fly-tipping in this city is completely unacceptable. The council will not tolerate this as it knows the top priority for citizens is clean streets. When cases are reported, we investigate – and when evidence is available, we prosecute.

“This case sends out a clear message that we do investigate fly-tipping and we will prosecute whenever we have evidence. If you fly-tip and are caught - and the likelihood is that you will - the consequences mean it is simply not worth the risk.

“I thank the members of the Waste Enforcement Team involved with this case. Their job is not easy and they are doing everything they can to deliver on the top priority for Birmingham – clean streets.”

Anyone with any information on cases of fly-tipping can report details using our online form.

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