A man from Letchworth has been prosecuted for fly–tipping offences and forced to pay almost £1,000 in fees.

Stuart Pearson, of Maddles in Letchworth Garden City, was hired to refit a Hitchin shop in September last year – leading the shop owner to ask him to remove and dispose of six refrigerators, part of a shop counter and price labels from the site.

Pearson paid a man £70 to remove the waste, but did not check if he held a waste carrier’s licence from the environment agency. The man subsequently fly-tipped the waste items in Partridge Hill, Ashwell.

Following an interview with the council, Pearson pleaded guilty to failing to legally and appropriately dispose of waste at Stevenage Magistrate’s Court on March 6. He was fined £300, ordered to pay costs of £658.62 and pay a victim surcharge of £30.

CLlr Judi Billing, NHDC’s executive member for community engagement, said: “This case highlights the importance of checking that a waste carrier has a licence to dispose of waste before you hand it over to them.

“If they are unlicensed and fly-tip the waste, you will be held legally responsible.

“We work closely with the Hertfordshire Fly-Tipping Group to highlight this important message as much as possible, so people like Mr Pearson do not end up in a situation like this in the future.”