A man has been ordered to pay more than £1,100 after a large fly-tip caused damage to the County Durham environment.
Durham County Council took legal action against Keenan Samme after waste was
dumped at the entrance to Gurney Valley, near to Coundon Grange in February last year.
Having received a report of a fly-tip, officers were able to check for CCTV footage, which
showed a tipper vehicle fully loaded with waste reversing into a gated entrance to the field.
A man was seen exiting the passenger seat, moving to the back of the vehicle and
opening the tailgate. The van is then caught on camera moving off with its rear still up,
deliberately causing waste to fall into the road despite other road users passing by.
The driver of the vehicle was identified as Samme, of Weardale Walk, Shildon, and the
van was later seized by the council.
At Peterlee Magistrates Court, the 24-year-old admitted to fly-tipping. Speaking on
Samme’s behalf, his solicitor said he was told by a senior colleague to dump the waste as
soon as possible following a spring breaking on the van.
Magistrates were concerned by the significant fly-tip, which also dumped onto the nearby
footpath and road, damaging the local environment.
Samme was fined £648 and ordered to pay costs of £420 as well as a £65 victim
surcharge, totalling £1,133.
Ian Hoult, Durham County Council’s neighbourhood protection manager, said: “Fly-tipping
can cause serious damage to our environment and will not be tolerated in County Durham.
“We know it is an issue that causes concern to our communities and we are committed to
taking action against anyone responsible in order to protect our area. We hope this
prosecution serves as a reminder to everyone that their waste is their responsibility and
that it must be disposed of correctly.”
For more information on, and to report fly-tipping ,visit www.durham.gov.uk/flytipping
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