Following a fly-tipping incident in Mitcham last October, a Carshalton plumber has been given a six months conditional discharge and ordered to pay legal costs of £495 at Wimbledon Magistrates Court.

Mr Alec Campbell of AC Plumbing & Heating, Ruskin Road, Carshalton, was convicted of two offences. For failing to take reasonable measures to ensure that waste was transferred only to an authorised person and for failing to furnish written descriptions of waste and transfer notes when demanded.

The offence arose when Mr Campbell was contracted by a Mitcham resident to convert an outside toilet and dispose of waste created by the work.

The waste was disposed at the rear of 379 London Road, Mitcham. Following a search of the rubbish, correspondence was found linking the illegally dumped rubbish to Mr Campbell.

Mr Campbell admitted under caution he had paid some men in a truck £50 to take the waste.

As a producer of controlled waste he is required by section 34 Environmental Protection Act and the Environmental Protection (Duty of Care) Regs 1991 to keep a records of waste transferred.

Ian Hosking, Environmental quality and enforcement manager, was pleased the courts had recognised the seriousness of the offence

“There is a considerable problem with building and refurbishment type waste being fly tipped in the borough. If you dispose of any rubbish from your residential property or business or if you engage a contractor to conduct any works, you must ensure that the waste is passed to an authorised waste carrier, who must give you a waste transfer note. If you don’t and the waste produced by you is fly-tipped, the householder, the contractor and the person who fly-tipped the waste can be prosecuted.’