Three householders have been fined £600 each for failing to check if their waste collector had a valid licence.
Cumberland Council took action after complaints and intelligence gathered about the waste carrier in Maryport.
On Monday January 19 officers from Cumberland Council attended a site in the town.
A trailer, with a large amount of mixed waste, had been abandoned.
Council officers said the trailer was found to be unroadworthy, had no registration plate, and had been left on the public highway.
It was seized as a result and council officers confirmed that the waste originated from three separate addresses.
The authority said while the trailer was being taken away, a man arrived and claimed ownership of it and the waste.
Officers then found the vehicle he had been using to transport waste to the Household Waste Recycling Centre.
The authority added that further checks confirmed that he was not a registered waste carrier and had been operating illegally as an unlicensed waste collector.
Following a full investigation, the following enforcement actions were taken:
- £1,000 fine issued for fly-tipping due to the volume of waste deposited at the location.
- £200 fine issued for abandoning a trailer full of waste on the highway.
- Three householders fined £600 each for breaching their duty of care by failing to check whether the collector was a registered waste carrier.
Councillor Denise Rollo, Cumberland Council’s executive member for sustainable, resilient and connected places, said: “Illegal waste collection and disposal harms our communities, damages our environment, and undermines legitimate waste businesses.
“This case demonstrates why it is so important for residents to check that anyone offering to take waste away holds a valid waste carrier licence.
” Cumberland Council will continue to take robust action against those who transport or dump waste unlawfully.”
Householders have a legal responsibility to ensure anyone removing waste from their property is properly licensed. Those who fail to carry out these checks may face enforcement action if their waste is later found fly-tipped.
