Sevenoaks District Council have successfully prosecuted two fly tippers who have been dumping rubbish on roads around North Kent.
Forty-five year old Steven Clatworthy of Twigg Close, Erith was charged with dumping waste throughout August 2020, after he was found tipping in School Lane near Fawkham on at least three occasions.
On 7th August 2020, a resident reported a large amount of fly-tipped rubbish on School Lane, which was blocking the highway. After the incident, the Council’s Environmental Enforcement Team erected CCTV cameras, together with warning signs advising that CCTV was in operation in the area. Sevenoaks is the only Kent council with a dedicated investigation team and it proved its worth.
Just days later on 15th August, the cameras captured Clatworthy removing waste from his maroon transit van. The Environmental Enforcement team traced the waste to an Erith resident who paid Clatworthy £150 to dispose of wood, a shed, a wardrobe, a distinctive pink carpet and underlay.
our residents and the Council will not tolerate fly-tipping
Three days later another resident witnessed Clatworthy dumping rubbish on the lane and made a note of his number plate. Another member of the public photographed a dispatch note amongst the rubbish. Using this information, the Council traced the rubbish to the same Erith resident who had used Clatworthy for a second time to clear rubbish.
On 28th August, more rubbish was found dumped in the lane. The resident who discovered the incident took photos of business flyers amongst the waste. The Council linked this incident to a Mottingham-based business who used Clatworthy to clear trade waste.
Clatworthy pleaded guilty to fly-tipping waste contrary to section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. He was fined £360, ordered to pay £2,140 in costs and £50 in compensation, in total £2,330.75. Perhaps not enough to be a deterrent for this kind of behaviour when a fine of up to £5,000 can be imposed.
