Two men from Morecambe and Heysham fined thousands for fly-tipping

Both were taken to court by Lancaster City Council on Monday, December 2 2019, as part of its Operation Peregrine initiative, which aims to crack down on fly-tipping and make those responsible pay for their actions.

Damian Demczuk of Sandylands Promenade, Heysham was fined £523, ordered to pay clean-up costs of £4,898.88 and a victim surcharge of £52 after pleading guilty to knowingly permitting controlled waste to be deposited on land at the rear of his property and operating a regulated facility without a permit.

Demczuk also pleaded guilty to failure to clear the land after a Section 59 Environmental Protection Act 1990 clearance notice was served.

The waste was being stored during the duration of the investigation between April to July 2019 and being brought to the site from other properties he was working on in the area.

Dean Cheeseman, of Hestham Crescent, Morecambe was issued with a fine of £440, ordered to pay costs of £770.81 and a victim surcharge of £44 for failure to answer a notice served under Section 108 Environment Act 1990.

The notice was served with questions in relation to a fly-tip that occurred on April 8 2019, whereby waste was seen to be taken from a vehicle of which he was the registered keeper.

Cheeseman failed to answer the questions and failed to turn up to court when summonsed.

Mark Davies, Director for Communities and the Environment, said: “Fly-tipping is a blight on our communities and we’ll continue doing all we can to stamp it out by investigating and prosecuting offenders who choose to dispose of their rubbish irresponsibly.

“These successful prosecutions should serve as a warning to others that their irresponsible actions could have a huge financial cost to their own wallets.”

As part of its Operation Peregrine campaign the council is urging residents and businesses wanting to make sure their waste is disposed of legitimately to think S.C.R.A.P.

• Suspect all waste carriers. Don’t let them take your rubbish until they provide proof of registration. Note their vehicle’s registration plate.

• Check that a waste carrier is registered on the Environment Agency’s website.

• Refuse any unexpected offers to have your rubbish taken away.

• Ask how your rubbish will be disposed of - seek evidence of this.

• 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.

If you want to join in the battle against fly-tipping and can offer any information which might lead to an offender being identified and caught, please call Lancaster City Council Customer Services on 01524 582491, email [email protected] or use the online reporting form at www.lancaster.gov.uk/fly-tipping