AN AMESBURY resident was hit with a £1,000 fine and had their van seized just days after being caught on CCTV fly-tipping in the Stonehenge area.
Wiltshire Council says the case, wrapped up in just 11 days, highlights how quickly offenders can now be tracked down thanks to increased surveillance and joint working with police.
Environmental enforcement officers launched an investigation after discovering piles of dumped waste during a routine inspection on May 7.
The rubbish – around eight builders’ buckets of soil and mixed garden waste – had been dumped on a public highway in an area monitored by council CCTV cameras.
When officers reviewed footage, they found the incident had been clearly captured on May 3, showing a man unloading multiple buckets of waste from the back of a van.
Within days, Wiltshire Police’s Rural Crime Team and Amesbury Neighbourhood Police Team seized the vehicle linked to the offence.
The man was later interviewed under caution, where he admitted responsibility, apologised and expressed remorse.
He was issued with a £1,000 fixed penalty notice, which has since been paid in full, and has also returned to clear the dumped waste.
The van was later returned after the council determined it was no longer required for legal or investigative purposes.
Wiltshire Council said it has significantly expanded its covert and overt CCTV operation across the county to tackle environmental crime.
Cabinet member for highways, Cllr Martin Smith, said: “Fly-tipping is completely unacceptable, and this case shows just how quickly we can act when we have strong evidence and effective partnerships in place.
“There is simply no excuse for dumping waste illegally.”
The council is urging residents to report incidents of fly-tipping and warned it will continue using CCTV and enforcement powers to target offenders.
The council tip in Amesbury is totally inadequate. The traffic can back up so far it blocks off 1 sometimes 2 roundabouts. Amesbury has grown but the council tip has not. The council could greatly relieve the pressure by putting skips around the estates like they used to in the summer so folks with out transport can use them.
Agreed people are flipping for this exact reason. The town has grown my 33% in the last 10 years meaning a 33% higher income from council tax but they don’t update the facilities
I work at the skip in Amesbury. This van actually came a lot over the bank holiday weekend and with a with a permit. He said he tried Salisbury as well but our bins were full. And I had to turn him away. Let’s just say Wiltshire council are not actually helping us guys at the skips we’re understaffed and the sites do not meet the needs I feel
Sorry for this guy as I know who it is and he did try to do the right thing first but the council aren’t supplied the correct facilities for the demand