Luton man ordered to pay £3,000 for two flytipping offences

A Luton man has been ordered to pay £3,007 after being successfully prosecuted by Dacorum Borough Council for two flytipping offences in Hertfordshire.

On January 19, Imran Ramzan was prosecuted by the council for two separate offences - both occurred in Coles Lane, Flamstead, in July 2021.

On 12 July 2021 at 10.44pm, a covert camera deployed by the council’s Environmental Enforcement Team captured the images of an occupant of a car registered to Mr Ramzan depositing household waste on Coles Lane.

The following day (13 July 2021), an Enforcement Officer attended Coles Lane, to confirm the deposited waste to be a black refuse sack containing tumble dryer vent piping, lino, cardboard and plastic items.

On 20 July 2021 at 8.40 am, a Dacorum Borough Council Enforcement Officer attended Coles Lane, Flamstead to investigate further fly-tipping. Another pile of household waste was found to be deposited by the roadside at the same location.

When searched, the waste consisted of nine black refuse sacks containing packaging, tiling materials, carpet offcuts and contained a document (a receipt with personal details including address) linking it again to Mr Ramzan.

The defendant was interviewed under caution by Dacorum Borough Council’s Enforcement Officers on 5 August 2021 about the offences of fly-tipping.

Mr Ramzan denied committing the offences claiming that his vehicle was being repaired at the time of the first offence but could not prove this.

And he said the waste found on 20 July 2021 was not deposited by him, but that he had paid an unnamed person in a vehicle to dispose of this waste for him, whilst building work was being carried out at his house.

After the interview had taken place, the defendant later admitted to the investigating officer that he had indeed unlawfully deposited the waste on both occasions.

The council was then obliged to seek prosecution for the offences and Mr Ramzan subsequently pleaded guilty at St Albans Magistrates Court.

The court sentenced Mr Ramzan to fines of £821 (count One) and £400 (count Two), a victim Surcharge of £122 and full costs of £1,664.71. A total of £3007.71.

Ben Stevens, Dacorum Borough Council’s lead environmental enforcement officer said: “We need people to understand that their waste is their responsibility.

"Anyone offering to take it away has to be registered to carry waste, or it could end up fly-tipped, and you could be prosecuted for failing to take reasonable steps to prevent it.

"If you see fly-tipping, please report it via our online reporting tool by visiting www.dacorum.gov.uk/flytipping.”