A 'LAZY' flytipper who dumped a mattress in a layby and claimed they didn't have time to take it to the tip has been fined.

The Zeals resident, who Wiltshire Council has not named, discarded the mattress off Bells Lane in May.

A member of the public witnessed the incident, reported it to the council and received a reward under the council's 'We're Targeting Fly-tippers campaign'.

Officers conducted a formal interview under caution with the person who was alleged to have dumped the waste, to allow the suspect to explain how this waste was found illegally dumped.

They stated that they didn’t have time to take it to their local recycling centre and so had fly-tipped it. They also confessed that they acted alone.  

The flytipper claimed they didn't have time to take the mattress to the tip.The flytipper claimed they didn't have time to take the mattress to the tip. (Image: Wiltshire Council)

The perpetrator was slapped with a new £1k fixed penalty notice (FPN) which was introduced by the council for small scale fly-tipping offences committed on or after 23 April.

This action was an attempt at creating a greater deterrent to people illegally dumping waste in the county as the fine was previously £400.

Wiltshire Council refused the name the individual who received the FPN as they were not convicted in court.

Councillor Nick Holder, Wiltshire's cabinet member for highways, street scene, and flooding said: “I’d like to thank the local resident for reporting the dumped waste to us, as this allowed our officers to investigate and take action.

“There is no excuse to fly-tip in our beautiful county and we will continue our zero-tolerance approach towards this unsightly act, in line with our Business Plan commitment.

Councillor Nick Holder.Councillor Nick Holder. (Image: Wiltshire Council)

“Our message is clear: we will fine or prosecute anyone caught illegally dumping rubbish in Wiltshire.

“The laziness of this person cost them £1,000 and we will continue to target people who commit this environmental crime which is a priority set out in our Business Plan.

“If anyone spots fly-tipping in the county, I’d urge them to report it to us using MyWilts.”

Anyone who reports a fly-tipper to Wiltshire Council could receive a reward of up to £200 in high street vouchers if the information leads to the successful prosecution of an offender or the payment of a fixed penalty notice.

For more information on reporting fly-tipping and the witness reward scheme, visit wiltshire.gov.uk/fly-tipping.