Dacorum Fly-Tipper Fined

Dacorum fly-tipper fined for dumping waste at a garage block in Hemel Hempstead

Dacorum Borough Council has successfully prosecuted Mr Jake Putman of Hasedines Road, Hemel Hempstead for a fly-tipping offence at a garage block in Paston Road, Hemel Hempstead.

On 14 June 2023 at Hatfield Remand Court, Mr Putman pleaded guilty to the unauthorised deposit of controlled waste in a garage block in Paston Road, Hemel Hempstead that occurred on or before the 4 September 2022. The defendant was fined £480, ordered to pay costs of £500 and a victim surcharge of £192.

Following a report of a fly-tip, an Environmental Enforcement Officer attended a garage block in Highfield on 5 September 2022. The Officer found a large pile of dumped household rubbish, which included packaging with the defendant’s details. This led to Mr Putman being picked up by the Police, and the same day was brought before the court on an arrest warrant issued by St Albans Magistrates Court in May 2023.

Mr Putman was issued with a £400 Fixed Penalty Notice for the fly-tipping offence but failed to pay and engage with Dacorum Borough Council, despite reminders.

Dacorum Borough Council then referred the matter to Court, where Mr Putman did not attend a summons to St Albans Magistrates Court on 1 March 2023, nor an adjournment on 10 May 2023. At the second hearing, the Council were granted a request for a warrant of arrest due to his non-attendance.

Cllr Robin Bromham, Portfolio Holder for Communities said: “Fly-tipping causes great distress for residents whose streets, lanes or alleys are blighted by this law-breaking. Clearing it up costs money from our council tax, which would otherwise be spent on improving the neighbourhoods, towns and villages of Dacorum. I hope this prosecution serves as a deterrent to others who might make this kind of mess. Sometimes it can be frustrating if we don’t have transport or when the recycling centre is unavailable, and that’s when we can use the Dacorum Bulky Items Collection service which costs £50 (or £77, depending on quantity).”

Dacorum Borough Council are part of the Hertfordshire Fly Tipping Group (HFTG). This is a multi-agency taskforce including the borough, district and county councils as well as Hertfordshire Constabulary, Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Herts Fire and Rescue, the Environment Agency and the National Farmers’ Union.

These organisations have come together to improve how Hertfordshire responds to fly-tipping. The HFTG is delivering improvements in enforcement capability across the county, as well as rolling out new technology to assist in identifying and prosecuting fly-tippers.

The HFTG is also behind the award-winning #SCRAPflytipping campaign, which is used across Hertfordshire to help educate residents, and has been provided to other local authorities across the UK (free of charge) to help promote a consistent message.

For more information, search #SCRAPflytipping: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/flytipping