Merton Council successfully prosecuted a driver for illegally carrying waste without a license at the end of last month.

Mr Barry Fisher failed to appear at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on 24 August to answer the allegation of transporting waste whilst not being a registered waste carrier.

Mr Fisher was stopped as part of a planned operation in which Sutton and Merton worked together with the Metropolitan Police to gather information. When stopped by the police he was carrying a large amount of scrap metal which he said he was going to dispose of but he was doing so without a license. He was given the opportunity to pay a fixed penalty notice of £180 but failed to do so.

The statutory requirement for waste carriers to be registered is intended to tackle flytipping that might otherwise arise from an unregulated activity.

The case proceeded in Mr Fisher’s absence and after hearing the evidence from the written statements of Merton’s enforcement team he was convicted.

Mr Fisher was sentenced to a fine of £500, and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £465 and the offender surcharge of £15. The total sum of £980 is payable within 28 days. The court also made a collection order.

Councillor Andrew Judge, Merton Council cabinet member for environmental sustainability and regeneration said:

‘Keeping Merton clean is a top priority for the council and people who don’t abide by the laws by carrying waste illegally need to learn their lesson, especially as they are often the ones who flytip and blight our community. ‘