COUNCIL chiefs have hailed the conviction of a man who was hauled before the courts for fly-tipping.

The offender has been landed with a court bill for more than £1,500.

Enforcement officers at the Dorset Waste Partnership (DWP) worked with a council to investigate a series of fly-tips in the Sherborne and south Somerset area last November.

It was found a man was paid to collect and dispose of building waste from a local resident who was having their house renovated.

This waste was later discovered dumped across four separate locations, including near Lenthay Dairy Farm in Sherborne. Upon investigation, enforcement officers found evidence within the fly-tips that linked the waste to the offender, Lee Spurdle, 30, of Yeovil.

He subsequently was brought before the courts where he pleaded guilty and was fined a total of £1,588.14 for his crimes.

After the case, Jeremy Gallagher, enforcement officer for the Dorset Waste Partnership (DWP), said: “We’re obviously pleased with this conviction and would like to thank our colleagues at South Somerset District Council’s Enforcement Team for their assistance in the investigation.

"I hope this case demonstrates that fly-tipping will not be tolerated in Dorset or Somerset. By working with neighbouring councils as well as residents, we can work more effectively to clamp down on fly-tippers and stop this anti-social, illegal and dangerous activity that costed Dorset tax-payers £150,000 last year alone.”

This conviction comes as the DWP launch its new ‘Tip-Off’ anti-flytipping campaign, which encourages Dorset residents to report fly-tipping incidents and provides important information on how residents can prevent waste being fly-tipped.

A series of roadshows are happening across the county where DWP officers will be talking to residents about the issue.

Like most counties, Dorset is subject to persistent fly-tipping and the number of incidences is continuing to increase, following a national trend. On top of the obvious damage to the environment, the clearance of the waste costs the DWP around £150,000 per year.

For more information visit www.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/tip-off

* Fly-tipping incidents can be reported via dorsetforyou.gov.uk/flytipping, e-mailing enquiries@dorsetwastepartnership.gov.uk or call 01305 221040.