Josh Sheen fined for fly-tipping in Bentley Wood near Salisbury

Josh Sheen, of Windermere Avenue, was paid £50 to collect waste from a property in Southampton but instead of lawfully disposing of it at a licensed site, he took it to Bentley Wood.

The 25-year-old fly-tipped a sofa, a tyre, bin bags, a mattress and other waste among other items on January 29.

Sheen pleaded guilty to three charges at Salisbury Magistrates' Court on Monday, July 29, where he was sentenced to community work and a hefty fine.

Magistrates ordered him to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and to pay a total of £1292.74.

The witness, who assisted the council in convicting the offender, is entitled to a reward of £100 as part of Wiltshire Council’s We’re Targeting Fly-tippers (WTF) campaign.

Josh Sheen left this pile of waste in Bentley Wood. (Image: Wiltshire Council)

Councillor Nick Holder, Wiltshire's cabinet member for highways and street Scene, said: “We’re committed to tackling fly-tipping here in Wiltshire and our Business Plan clearly outlines our zero-tolerance approach to it.

“There is no excuse for fly-tipping and this case highlights how you shouldn’t trust anyone to take your waste away without making three simple checks first.

“As we’re highlighting through our WTF Stop at Source campaign, anyone getting their waste taken away should always check the waste carriers licence, get a receipt and note the registration, make and model of the vehicle being used to take the rubbish away.

"If people’s rubbish is fly-tipped by another person, they could be issued with a fixed penalty notice or prosecuted. These three checks can help people protect themselves and help us to Stop at Source."

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Cllr Holder thanked the resident, who played an important part in convicting Sheen. He also urged anyone who spots fly-tipping to report it using MyWilts.

"When residents report fly-tipping to us, we investigate and take action which can lead to a successful prosecution," he added.

“To ensure Mr Sheen cannot repeat his actions, we will make a representation to the Environment Agency to revoke his waste carrier’s licence.” 

For more information about how Wiltshire Council is tackling fly-tipping and rewarding those who report offenders, visit wiltshire.gov.uk/fly-tipping.