Van driver spotted dumping bag of waste and mattress

A MAN who dumped a builder’s bag full of waste and a double mattress in the Staffordshire Moorlands countryside has been hit wth a court bill of more than £2,000.

Ubaid Shams, of Rutland Street, Hanley, was found guilty of fly-tipping after a trial at North Staffordshire Justice Centre.

Magistrates imposed a Community Order requiring Mr Shams to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work over the next 12 months, and to pay costs of £2,376 and a victim surcharge of £85.

The prosecution was brought by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council after a member of the public witnessed a transit van moving very slowly along Easing Lane, in the Bradnop and Thorncliffe area, on March 7 last year.

On turning his own vehicle into the lane, the man spotted the bag of waste and the mattress which had been dumped and saw the van speed off. He reported the incident to the police.

Police officers attending the incident located the van, which had crashed in a ditch, and found Mr Shams standing next to it. The police and the council then worked together to bring the case to court.

Councillor Sav Scalise, cabinet member for the environment at the district council, said: “Fly-tipping is a scourge and we will always seek to take action against people who blight our local environment in this way.

“That we were able to bring this case to a successful prosecution is a direct result of a member of the public reporting this incident, and I would like to pay tribute to him for his responsible and public-spirited actions.

“I would also like to thank the police who investigated this incident. This case is a prime example of excellent partnership working and sends out a very clear message that we will not sit back and allow individuals to spoil our communities through their selfish and thoughtless actions.”

Anyone witnessing fly-tipping in the Moorlands can report it to the council at www.staffsmoorlands.gov.uk