Mattresses from Telford rented property dumped in Wolverhampton by a waste carrier results in hefty fine
A man has been successfully prosecuted after a large amount of household rubbish from a rented property in Telford was fly-tipped in Wolverhampton.
Wolverhampton Council took action after mattresses, wood, bagged waste and other household items were discovered dumped on land at Meldon Drive in Bilston on February 18 last year.
Environmental crime officers were able to trace the source of the waste through packaging found at the scene, which led them to Jordan Delaney who runs a removals service, which had passed the job to a third party waster carrier.
Delaney, of Dimmocks Avenue, Dudley, pleaded guilty to four charges at Dudley Magistrates Court on March 11. He was fined £400 and ordered to pay a £160 victim surcharge along with £3,652.23 in costs.
The charges included two offences under the Environmental Protection Act, as well as breaches of the Environment Act and the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act.
The investigation began when officers found packaging addressed to a property in Telford within the dumped waste. The named resident told officers they had recently vacated a rented property and had left items behind for the landlord to dispose of.
The landlord had hired a removals service operated by Delaney, which had been advertised on social media. He later provided officers with photographs of the waste being removed, along with messages exchanged between himself and Delaney.
When interviewed, Delaney admitted he recognised the waste but claimed he did not know where it had been dumped. He told officers he had been paid £1,200 to remove the rubbish but had passed the job to a third party.
He said he paid the associate £180 per load to dispose of the waste, with two or three loads taken from the Telford property. However, he refused to provide any details about the individual or the vehicle used.
Delaney also admitted he had carried out no checks to ensure the third party was licensed or would dispose of the waste legally.
Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, cabinet member for resident services, said: “This was quite an involved case for our environmental crime team and shows the importance of being aware of potential pitfalls when dealing with waste carriers.
“In this case, the offender admitted that he carried out no checks on the third party involved. He accepted that he didn’t know where the waste he had been paid to take had actually ended up.
“We continue to work hard to prevent fly tipping and other environmental crimes. Suspected offenders should be aware that they are being watched and we are doing all we can to track them down.”
The council is urging residents to ensure anyone they hire to remove waste is properly licensed and disposes of it responsibly.
