A Merton business and a West Barnes resident are both counting the cost of fly-tipping after being caught illegally disposing of waste in the borough.

West Barnes resident Wayne Douglas was prosecuted at Lavender Hill Magistrates Court for dumping household waste at the rear of Marina Avenue. Mr Douglas was summonsed to attend court where he apologised and pleaded guilty to fly-tipping. He was ordered to pay out a total of £1,050 for the offence which included a £500 fine, £500 costs and the victim surcharge of £50.

Deadman Confidential Ltd, was also prosecuted for failing to ensure that waste was collected by an authorised sub-contractor who illegally dumped the waste in front of a private business in Garth Road, Morden. Tony Deadman attended Lavender Hill Magistrates Court on behalf of the company and pleaded guilty to two charges. Deadman Confidential Ltd was fined £500 and ordered to pay costs of £200 and the victim’s surcharge of £50, a total of £750. The court took into account the company’s early guilty plea and previous good track record. On behalf of the company, Mr Deadman apologised for the incident and said that the company has since implemented proper procedures to dispose of waste responsibly.

Merton Council’s cabinet member for environmental cleanliness and parking, Councillor Judy Saunders said: “We and the majority of our residents want to keep Merton clean and tidy. People should be warned that anyone we catch fly-tipping could face a court conviction and substantial fines. Our enforcement teams are on the lookout for offenders and won’t let them get away with fly-tipping. Also, it is important that residents know their responsibility to ensure anyone calling at their home offering to take away building waste and other rubbish for a fee has the correct licence, otherwise, they could also be found liable for the offence.”

If people witness fly-tipping, they should note down as many details of the event as possible and let the council know by visiting merton.gov.uk/street-cleaning.

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