Salisbury tosser fined
By WC
Wiltshire Council has successfully prosecuted a Salisbury resident who fly-tipped household waste on to school grounds in the city.
Nadine Russell, of London Road, appeared at Salisbury Magistrates Court on Tuesday 4 January and pleaded guilty to the fly-tipping of household waste into the grounds of Chafyn Grove School.
The council's Environmental Enforcement Officers conducted an investigation and found that evidence of the crime being committed was posted on social media; this was crucial in securing the conviction.
Ms Russell failed to attend an interview under caution regarding the offence and failed to pay a fixed penalty notice of £400. As a result, she was prosecuted in the magistrates court for the dumping of waste and was ordered to pay a total of £636 in fines and costs.
Cllr Dr Mark McClelland, Cabinet Member for Highways and Waste, said: "This prosecution shows that we take all fly-tipping reports seriously and will fully investigate them, however small.
"Fly-tipping is a blight on our local environment, a source of pollution, a potential danger to public health and it is a drain on council resources. The household recycling centre is less than 10 minutes away from where the waste was dumped."
Residents can report fly-tipping and unauthorised waste carriers at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/mywilts-online-reporting or by calling 0300 456 0100.