Wiltshire Council has successfully prosecuted a Salisbury resident for fly-tipping household waste and furniture in a communal bin store.
Radu Marton, of Tollgate Road, Salisbury, appeared at Salisbury Magistrates Court on Thursday, 25th September and pleaded guilty to fly-tipping bulky household items in a communal bin store for a block of flats in the city. He was fined a total of £1,090, including costs and a victim surcharge.
The council’s Environmental Enforcement Team received a report of fly-tipping in December 2024. When officers visited the location, they found that large items of furniture, including a rolled-up mattress, a sofa, chairs and a table, had been placed in the store, along with a children’s bicycle and a suitcase. A witness identified Mr Marton as the individual responsible.
Mr Marton was interviewed under caution and issued with a £1,000 fixed penalty notice (FPN). The fine remains unpaid to date, so the council has pursued prosecution.
As part of the council’s We’re Targeting Fly-tippers (WTF) campaign, which rewards people who give the council information that leads to an FPN or prosecution, the resident who assisted in this investigation will be rewarded with high street vouchers.
Cllr Martin Smith, Cabinet Member for Highways, Streetscene and Flooding, said: “There is really no excuse for fly-tipping, and that is why we are committed to holding any offenders accountable.
“Mr Marton had several lawful options to dispose of his unwanted furniture, including donating items for reuse at his local household recycling centre or using our large item collection service. Instead, he chose to dump them in a communal bin store, causing disruption for other residents and committing a criminal offence.
“People who are caught fly-tipping can be issued with a £1,000 fixed penalty notice or be taken to court, where they could face an unlimited fine or imprisonment. Mr Radu could have avoided the court action by paying his fixed penalty notice, but failed to do so – leaving us no choice but to take legal action.”
“I’d like to thank the resident who assisted us and helped us bring this case to court. I encourage anyone who spots a fly-tip in the county, or someone disposing of their waste illegally, to report it to us using MyWilts. In doing so, they could receive a reward of up to £200 in gift vouchers if the information they provide leads to a successful prosecution, or a fixed penalty notice being paid.”
Wiltshire Council and some charities can collect bulky items such as furniture, carpets and bicycles from properties for reuse. For more information, people can visit www.wiltshire.gov.uk/article/10478/Large-item-reuse-and-collection. Good quality reusable items can also be donated to a household recycling centre for reuse; find out more at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/donate-your-items-to-a-hrc.
To find out more about how the council is tackling fly-tipping in Wiltshire and how to report fly-tipping, people should visit www.wiltshire.gov.uk/fly-tipping.
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