Woman fined £300 after her household rubbish was fly-tipped at a reservoir beauty spot in Harborough

A woman has been fined £300 after her household rubbish was fly-tipped at a reservoir beauty spot in Harborough

The woman in her 50s, who has not been named by the council, was tracked down and hit in the pocket after she paid for waste to be removed from her garage – and it was dumped at Saddington Reservoir, near Fleckney.

She was caught after Harborough council’s Environmental Crime Team swung into action when the incident was reported on April 12.

The woman from Leicester admitted hiring a man to take away her rubbish in his van and failing to check if he was registered to carry and dispose of the waste.

She was handed a fixed penalty notice for £300.

Cllr Jonathan Bateman, the council’s Cabinet lead for environment and waste, said: “We cannot say this more strongly.

“It is vital that people stay vigilant and check if someone is licensed to remove waste from their property.

“If you are in any doubt about whether the person or company removing your waste is licenced to do so, please do not use them.

“If it is illegally dumped, you will be held responsible.”

Householders are legally responsible for any household waste produced on their property.

They have a ‘duty of care’ to check that any person or business disposing of their waste is legally allowed to do so, warned the district council.

There are several ways to dispose of the waste that cannot go into wheeled bins:

Take large waste items to your local recycling and waste site (tip)

Use a licensed waste carrier to remove your waste - it is a legal requirement to use a licensed waste carrier (you can also check if someone has a licence on the Environment Agency website)

The council’s large waste items for collection service allows for up to three large household items or 12 sacks of waste to be collected for £35.04.

For further advice visit www.harborough.gov.uk/tip-offCllr Phil Knowles, who leads the council’s Liberal Democrat group, said: “Ultimately the waste is the responsibility for the householder.

“My advice is make sure that anyone removing it from your premises is licenced to do so.

“Ask for a copy of the documents they hold and don't hesitate to check with the council.”

He added: “After all, an unlicensed person removing your rubbish and dumping it could end up costing you hundreds of pounds if you get fined.

“And that’s on top of what you were charged for your rubbish to be taken away in the first place.

“Fly-tipping is a horrible eyesore – as well as being very dangerous and hugely expensive to clean up!”