A FLY-TIPPER whose van was seized and crushed by Bradford Council appeared in court last Friday to face multiple charges of dumping waste on the street.
Jonathan Blanchard, who is from Bierley Lane, Bierley, Bradford, pleaded guilty to five charges of depositing controlled waste without a licence.
Prosecutor Harjit Ryatt told the court that Bradford Council CCTV footage observed a flat bed-tipper van dump loads of waste, including tyres, demolition and building waste on a street in Oakenshaw and in Girlington.
The council had also received a tip-off that the van had been seen dumping rubbish in other areas of the district.
The Ford Transit was registered to Mr Blanchard at a previous address in Fagley Road.
In April last year the van was seized, and in August it was crushed in a Bradford scrapyard.
EMR Scrap Metal in Laisterdyke did the honours, dismantling that Ford Transit along with another similar van.
The council have provided us with the CCTV of the van being crushed.
Mr Blanchard was invited to an interview by Bradford Council enforcement officers but he did not attend this.
If you don’t want to lose your vehicle and end up before the courts, dispose of waste properly.
- Bradford Council spokesperson
Mr Blanchard, who is unemployed, was fined £560 with £1,939 costs and ordered to pay £56 Victim Surcharge by Bradford magistrates.
After the case, a spokesperson from Bradford Council said: “Fly-tipping is a dreadful blight on our community.
“We will do our best to try our best to catch the criminals who try to get away with dumping rubbish on our streets and in our countryside.
“Seizing vehicles is just one way of continuing the fight against fly-tipping.
“So if you don’t want to lose your vehicle and end up before the courts, dispose of waste properly.
“We are grateful for the help of the public in this case.
"We would ask anyone who sees fly-tipping taking place to please note down as many details as possible, including the vehicle licence plate number.
“They should then pass the information on to the council.”
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Council enforcement officers can seize vehicles if there is evidence that it has been used for fly-tipping and there is a suspicion that it may be used again.
Householders can be fined up to £5,000 and end up with a criminal record if they ask someone else to remove their rubbish and it is found to be fly-tipped.
The council has also pleaded with people not to use unlicensed waste carriers.
If they do so, they will also be breaking the law.
You can find out more about the household duty of care on the council's website.
Fly-tipping can be reported be calling the Council 01274 431000 or online at www.bradford.gov.uk.
Please note that the faces of the two men in the photograph at the top of the page have been blurred at the request of Bradford Council, as neither of them are the defendant. He is in the van.
The waste in the picture was dumped just after 4pm on February 7 on a street in Bradford.
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