A man has been ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £2,114.48 following a prosecution for fly-tipping in North Somerset.

Anthony Painter of Highcroft, Woolavington, in Bridgwater entered a guilty plea at North Somerset Magistrates' Court to a charge brought by North Somerset Council for fly-tipping waste at Yanley Lane in Long Ashton.

He was given a £1,386 fine, a victim surcharge of £139 and was ordered to pay compensation of £79.48 and costs of £510.

The fly-tipped items consisted of mixed household waste including cardboard, plastic, electrical items, tiles and metal. The offence was captured on CCTV in the area.

Having obtained the registration number of the vehicle used, officers found Mr Painter was the registered keeper of the vehicle at the time the offence took place.

Welcoming the outcome of the prosecution, North Somerset Council executive member for neighbourhoods and community services, Mike Solomon, said: “Fly-tipping is completely unacceptable and has a negative impact on our local environment and communities.

North Somerset Times: Mixed household waste including cardboard, plastic, electrical items, tiles and metal were dumped in Yanley Lane.Mixed household waste including cardboard, plastic, electrical items, tiles and metal were dumped in Yanley Lane. (Image: North Somerset Council)

“All incidents of fly-tipping in North Somerset are fully investigated by our teams and we issue fixed penalty notices or prosecute individuals when sufficient evidence is found.

“We are also working with enforcement company Local Authority Support to step up our enforcement of environmental offences such as littering, dog fouling and other antisocial behaviour which will not be tolerated in North Somerset."

The council is asking people to follow these steps to ensure waste is disposed of legally:

S - Suspect all waste carriers. Do not let them take your waste until they have proven themselves to be legitimate. A professional waste carrier should happily answer reasonable questions.

C - Check that a waste carrier is registered on the Environment Agency's website.

R - Refuse any unexpected offers to have your rubbish taken away.

A - Ask what will happen to your rubbish and seek evidence that it is going to be disposed of appropriately.

P - Paperwork must be obtained - a proper invoice, waste transfer note or receipt, including a description of the waste being removed and the waste carrier’s contact details.

Household waste can be disposed of at any of the council recycling centres at Backwell, Portishead and Weston-super-Mare.

Residents who find fly-tipped waste are encouraged to report it online to the council as soon as possible at www.n-somerset.gov.uk/flytipping.