WITH less than two weeks to go till Bonfire Night, householders and traders are being warned not to use the celebration as an excuse to dump rubbish.

Dumping any kind of waste material onto an established bonfire is against the law and regarded as fly-tipping, and those responsible for dumping it can be issued with a £400 Fixed Penalty Notice or taken before the courts.

Any householder who uses an unauthorised waste carrier to get rid of rubbish can also end up in court or issued with a £250 FPN by Bradford Council.

People wanting to get rid of extra rubbish should take it to their nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre or use a legitimate licensed carrier to dispose of it.

They could also contact the Council’s bulky waste collection service.

Each householder has a duty of care to ensure that any waste carrier they use is legitimate.

Household fined after their waste was fly tipped

The public should also get as much detail as possible about who is collecting their waste such as the person’s name, company details, vehicle registration number and a receipt.

Checks can be made on the Environment Agency website for waste carriers’ licences. A legitimate trader will not object to providing those details.

Cllr Sarah Ferriby, Executive Member for Healthy People and Places, said: “The bonfire period is one of those times where some people think they can just dump stuff on bonfires – we would urge them to think again.

“Rogue waste carriers regularly use social media to advertise but people should steer well clear if they are unsure.

“We don’t want to take people to court or to issue fines but we get the message from residents that fly-tipping, dropping litter and dumping rubbish from cars is not acceptable.

“There are lots of free or inexpensive ways to legitimately dispose of rubbish and we would urge everyone to act responsibly and use the correct method.”

Information about how to report fly-tipping and Bradford Council’s own bulky waste collection service can be obtained by calling the Council 01274 431000 or online at www.bradford.gov.uk.