A man has been ordered to pay more than £3,000 in fees after fly tipping a load of fridges in Kings Langley.
Peter Gumble, of Barley Mow, St Albans, appeared at St Albans Magistrates Court on Wednesday, January 31. He pleaded guilty to the charge of unauthorised depositing of controlled waste on Barnes Lane, back on Monday, July 3, 2023.
The court heard that on that date last year, a male driver of a white Ford Transit van was caught on a covert camera operated by Dacorum Borough Council (DBC) dumping a large number of fridges and freezers on the country lane.
The van was quickly traced back to Gumble, who after numerous efforts, failed to engage with DBC’s officers, after which they referred the case to the courts and were granted an arrest warrant. Subsequently, on Monday, January 8 this year, Gumble handed himself into police.
Gumble was ordered to pay a total of £3,039.50, which consisted of a £880 fine, £1,807.50 in costs and a victim surcharge of £352.
Councillor Robin Bromham, DBC’s portfolio holder for neighbourhood operations, said: “Fly tipping is completely unacceptable as it has a huge negative impact on our local community and surrounding environment and wildlife.”
The fine is too little and does not reflect the damage such primitive behaviour causes to nature and society.