Fine

Fly-tipping business from Dagenham is caught by eagle eyed council officer

A local shop in Dagenham has been found guilty in court after it was caught chucking its rubbish away in bins which are meant only for tenants.

During a routine inspection, on the 26 October 2021, of the domestic bins in a service road located at the rear of Longbridge Road, the council officer discovered business waste and evidence linking the rubbish to a business called Maramureseanul Ltd.

On visiting the premises, the owner of Maramureseanul Ltd, of 608 Longbridge Road, Dagenham, was spoken to on the phone and was asked to provide documents detailing how it disposes of its waste. The owner was then issued with a £400 flytipping fine as well as a notice to provide evidence of how it disposes of its business waste. The officer made the owner aware that it is their responsibility to ensure safe storage of waste produced until it is disposed of.

As the owner failed to provide its Waste Transfer Notes within the time scales given, they were also issued with a £300 fine to be paid within 14 days as discharge of liability. However, the business failed to pay this, and the case was taken to court.

The case was heard at Barkingside Magistrates Court on Tuesday 15 November where the owner of Maramureseanul Ltd was found guilty, in their absence, and ordered to pay fines of £800, costs to Barking and Dagenham Council of £886 and a Victim Surcharge of £60.

Councillor Syed Ghani, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety said: “Businesses have a responsibility to dispose of their waste correctly and keeping records of how to ensure that no harm is being caused to the environment through fly-tipping or littering.

“We have set guidelines on how businesses should dispose of their waste, and it certainly is not for them to be putting it in bins provided for tenants. Doing this could end up with bins overflowing or other people also fly-tipping.”

Barking and Dagenham Council has been leading the way in the fight against fly-tipping and twice a month releases their Wall of Shame series that looks to catch people in the act.