Fly-tipper prosecuted after dumping rubbish in Tesco car park

A fly-tipper has been prosecuted after a joint investigation by Three Rivers District Council and Buckinghamshire Council.

On 17 June 2021 Tom Ward, 57, of Kittiwake Way, Hayes, was caught on CCTV entering the car park at Tesco in Rickmansworth where he illegally deposited a large amount of tyres.

During the investigation it was bought to the attention of the investigating officer that a similar offence had occurred in Buckinghamshire on 20 June 2021. Three Rivers District Council worked closely with Buckinghamshire Council to prosecute Mr Ward on two counts of fly-tipping.

Mr Ward appeared before magistrates in High Wycombe on 13 April 2022 where he received a 12 months suspended sentence, six months for each offence, and was ordered to pay £2,000 compensation (£1,000 to Tesco, Rickmansworth and £1,000 to Buckinghamshire Council), £1,000 costs and a victim surcharge of £156.

Ray Figg, Head of Community Services, said: “People’s waste is their responsibility and must be disposed of responsibly and legally. Fly-tipping is unsightly, dangerous for wildlife, and dumped materials can be hazardous. It takes staff time and tax payers’ money to clear and dispose of the waste, taking resources which could be better used elsewhere. Hopefully this prosecution will serve as a reminder to others that we will not hesitate to prosecute people caught fly-tipping.”

Three Rivers District Council is part of the Hertfordshire Fly Tipping Group which runs the award-winning #SCRAPflytipping campaign to encourage all residents to use  the SCRAP code  when arranging for waste to be taken away.

Visit  www.threerivers.gov.uk/egcl-page/flytipping  to find out more.