A County Durham man has been fined after controlled waste was dumped on an industrial estate.
Two men from a tipper van illegally disposed of waste on land at Sunflag Park on Belmont Industrial Estate in Durham in October last year. Checks identified that the vehicle was both registered to and insured by Steven Laverick.
The 43-year-old agreed to attend a formal interview in February this year after being contacted by Durham County Council. However, he cancelled on the day and failed to attend a further interview without providing an explanation for his non-attendance.
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His failure to co-operate with the investigation meant that the local authority was unable to identify those involved in the fly-tipping. The council took legal action against Laverick and he was ordered to attend court.
Laverick, of of Broad View Villas, Sherburn Village, pleaded guilty to depositing the controlled waste and failing to assist with enquiries at Peterlee Magistrates' Court in Peterlee, County Durham.
The court heard, in mitigation, how he had been working at a nearby factory and was told by people working there that he could deposit the waste. He agreed he did not have the authority to leave it in the site’s skip, which wasn’t available to members of the public.
Magistrates handed Laverick a fine of £200. He was also ordered to pay costs of £418 and a £34 victim surcharge. The total amount which he has been ordered to pay the court is £652.
Durham County Council’s neighbourhood protection manager, Ian Hoult, said: "With many ways to dispose of rubbish correctly across the county, there is no excuse for the illegal dumping of waste.
“People can take items to one of our household waste recycling centres, book a bulky waste collection, or even donate items which are in good condition to one of our re-use schemes.
"We hope this prosecution serves as a warning that we take fly-tipping very seriously and will always take action against those responsible."
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