A man has been sentenced to eight weeks in prison after admitting carrying out two fly-tips in Oxfordshire on the same day.
Paul John Tidbury, 29, of Burchell Road, Newbury, appeared at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Friday 3 November when he pleaded guilty to two offences of breaching the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
The District Judge heard how, on 4 October 2016, a PCSO witnessed Mr Tidbury dumping building sand in East Challow at the site of the former Challow Country Club. The vehicle used to dump the rubbish, a white transit van, was stopped the same day in Wantage. Environment enforcement officers at Vale of White Horse District Council were then called to investigate and Mr Tidbury admitted being responsible for the waste and of failing to have the required waste carriers licence.
Police then received a report of a fly-tip off Bury Lane near Chilton. This time the incident had been captured on CCTV which had been set up by a landowner who had experienced ongoing issues with the crime. The footage, recorded on 4 October, the same day as the East Challow fly-tip, showed the same van being used to dump similar rubbish.
Details of the second case were then passed to district council’s enforcement officers to investigate.
In an interview under caution Mr Tidbury confirmed that he was the person seen in the CCTV footage and that it was his van. He also accepted dumping some of the material found at the site.
Following a number of adjournments, Paul Tidbury finally appeared in court on Friday 3 November when he was sentenced to eight weeks in prison for each offence, to be served concurrently. He was also ordered to pay £200 costs and a victim surcharge of £115.
This was the first time that someone has been jailed for fly-tipping in the Vale of White Horse.
Cllr Elaine Ware, Cabinet Member for Environmental Health at Vale of White Horse District Council said: “Fly-tipping is a serious crime which costs significant public money to clean up and investigate. This deliberate act spoils many rural areas and is potentially dangerous for any person or animal who comes into contact with it.
“We work very hard to tackle fly-tipping and will not hesitate to prosecute anyone we suspect is committing this crime. I also urge people to keep an eye out and report fly-tips and anyone they believe might be involved with illegally dumping rubbish.”
If you suspect that someone is involved with fly-tipping please contact 01235 422403.
