13/05/2005 - A fly-tipper
caught in the act by a Tilehurst couple whose
lives were blighted by rubbish illegally dumped
behind their home was fined
Clive Sirett of The Short, Purley on Thames,
Reading pleaded guilty on 12 May to illegally
dumping garden waste behind the rear garden
of a property occupied by Mr and Mrs Adamczyk
at Curlew Drive, Tilehurst, Reading.
Reading Magistrates’ Court heard that very
early in the morning of 1 September 2004 Mrs
Adamczyk heard a car pass the rear of the
house and then return and stop at the back
of the property. She saw the car’s internal
light go on as the boot was opened and decided
to wake Mr Adamczyk.
Mr Adamczyk saw noticed several bags of waste
in the car’s boot. He then saw a man who fitted
Mr Sirett’s description carrying a bag and
walking towards a gap in the hedge at the
rear of Mr Adamczyk’s fence where five bags
had already been dumped. He then confronted
the fly-tipper, asked him what he was doing,
and ordered him to remove the dumped bags.
The man removed the bagged waste and left.
Mr Adamczyk noted down the vehicle’s number
plate which enabled investigating officers
from the Environment Agency to trace Mr Sirett.
Alison Love, investigating officer for the
Environment Agency said: “Fly-tipping is a
thoughtless, anti-social crime which not only
blights local communities and the environment
but leaves landowners with the clear-up costs.
“Nobody should have to put up with waste
being dumped in their neighbourhood and Mr
Sirett - although not responsible for dumping
all the fly-tipped waste behind Mr Adamczyk’s
back garden - did contribute to the nuisance
and distress caused to Mr Adamczyk and his
family.”
In court Mr Sirett claimed that the waste
was causing condensation in his car while
he was driving to work, but the Magistrate
dismissed this claim noting that the area
was not on his way to work and that it clearly
was not a legal waste site. Mr Sirett pleaded
guilty and was fined £500 with £300
under the Environmental Protection Act.
Members of the public should report environmental
incidents to the Environment Agency’s emergency
hotline on freephone 0800 80 70 60.
