Merton Council’s enforcement team are celebrating a successful year of tackling fly-tipping in the borough following two more successful prosecutions at Wimbledon Magistrates Court this month.

On 8 December Mr Angel Traykov was fined £500 and ordered to pay the council’s costs of nearly £500 after pleading guilty to fly-tipping building waste at the Cooper Lane recycling centre.

Mr Traykov was caught on the council’s mobile CCTV camera on 17 July 2004 dumping waste from his white van. The council were able to trace the van’s registration number through the DVLA and Mr Traykov was identified as the owner. The mobile CCTV camera, which the council started using in July, can be set up anywhere in the borough to gather surveillance evidence of possible fly-tippers.

On 22 November Mr Nicholas Watkinson was fined £250 and ordered to pay the council’s costs of nearly £1000 within 14 days. Mr Watkinson was convicted of fly-tipping approximately 30 sacks of garden refuse on the footpath in Amenity Way, Morden on Sunday 15 February.

He had previously tried to dispose of the waste at the Reuse and Recycling Centre off Garth Road, Morden but it was closed to commercial waste so he was advised by a security guard to return when the centre was open. However Mr Watkinson drove further down the cul-de-sac and dumped the waste on the footpath. Despite being caught in the act by the security guard he refused to pick up the waste.

The council have been working closely with the Police and the Environment Agency through out 2004 to catch people who fly-tip in Merton. They are delighted with the recent successful prosecutions and hope it will act as a deterrent. This year since April 2004 the enforcement team has:
Issued over 100 warning letters
Served 256 Duty of Care Notices to businesses in the borough
Seized and destroyed four lorries involved in flytippings
Issued four Home Office Cautions
Undertaken six prosecutions of which two cases have been successful, four further cases are due to be heard in 2005.

Councillor Linda Kirby, Merton Council’s Cabinet Member for Environmental Quality, said: “This is another positive step in our fight against environmental crime and making Merton a safe, clean and green borough.

Waste can be disposed of legally at the Re-use and Recycling Centre in Garth Road, Morden. Commercial waste opening hours are from 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 1pm on Sunday. There is a charge of £25 for the first 300kg and £75 for larger loads.

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PRESS CONTACT:
Claire Bartlett
Senior Press