Council issues stern warning to fly-tippers following successful prosecution

Suspects are being warned by Wolverhampton Council that they won’t get away with ignoring council investigations after cases were brought against residents who failed to assist with fly-tipping inquiries.

The latest prosecution was brought against two residents and an associated company where, during a late-night incident, domestic waste was fly-tipped out of the back of a van onto the road.

The incident on Sunbeam Street in Blakenhall in June 2023 was caught on CCTV and checks revealed that the van was registered to a company misspelt as ‘First Choies’, with an address in Merridale Lane.

Further investigations by the council’s environmental crime team found the sole occupant of the address to be Mohammed Hassan Mohammed, while insurance checks found that the van was registered to Zana Hasan Abdullah, of Owen Road in Penn Fields.

All three parties were invited to attend an interview with council officers under the Environment Act 1995.

No one attended, nor was any contact received, so further notice was served, again with no response, which prevented officers from pursuing investigations and, as a result, the council then prosecuted for obstruction.

Mohammed and Abdullah were prosecuted at Dudley Magistrates Court on April 17, following the incident in June last year.

They each faced a charge of breaching Section 110 of the Environment Act 1995, with the same charge being brought against the company ‘First Choies’.

No defendants attended court and the case was heard in their absence, with all three parties found guilty of the offence of obstruction and were each fined £660 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £264.

Council costs of £716.28 were also imposed in each case.

The costs awarded to the council will be reinvested back into the environmental crime service, helping to bring people to justice who fail to dispose of their waste correctly.

The prosecutions sit alongside ongoing work under the council’s Shop a Tipper campaign where anyone suspected of dumping rubbish has their images shared on lampposts to appeal for information to help identify them.

If the information provided leads to successful identification, and Fixed Penalty Notices are issued and paid or a prosecution takes place, residents receive a £100 Enjoy Wolverhampton Gift Card.

Residents can contact 01902 552700 with information or report online at wolverhampton.gov.uk/reportflytipping

Councillor Craig Collingswood, cabinet member for environment and climate change at Wolverhampton Council, said: “Fly-tipping is a key priority for us in the city as it’s an unpleasant, unhygienic and thoughtless crime.

“While it is a national problem, our local efforts are having an impact and I’m pleased that our investigations have resulted in us bringing these cases to court.

“We want suspected fly-tippers to know that they cannot get away with ignoring contact from the council. We will not hesitate to prosecute anyone who thinks it’s okay to dump rubbish where others live and work.”

Residents are reminded that waste can be disposed of free of charge at our Household Waste and Recycling Centres (tips) which are open 7 days a week from 8am – 4pm. Centres are at Anchor Lane, Lanesfield, Bilston and Shaw Road, Wolverhampton.

A bulky item collection service to dispose of big unwanted items is also available, find out more at wolverhampton.gov.uk/recycling-and-waste/book-bulky-item-collection