A man who dumped black bin bags full of plaster yards from his home because his dustbin had been stolen has been convicted of fly-tipping.

Michael Smith, 51, of Rillington Mead, Ravenscliffe, was spotted by a neighbour twice in March and April leaving rubbish on Park Road.

He pleaded guilty before Bradford magistrates yesterday and was conditionally discharged for two years and ordered to pay costs of £351.

Dennis Schulman, prosecuting for Bradford Council, said that Smith told officers his bin had been taken and he had reported it to the Council.

He said he had been told to put his rubbish out in bags and it would be collected, but the binmen had refused because it was not household waste.

Smith told magistrates he had no choice but to dump the bags as the binmen would not take it. He said he had scattered the plaster dust around over wasteland so it would not cause a problem.