'We won't tolerate fly-tippers' says council as business gets hefty fine for dumping rubbish in Wolverhampton
A business which fly-tipped on a city street and then ignored a fixed penalty has been given an expensive lesson by magistrates.
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Sergiu Razvan Ed Ltd was ordered to pay more than £8,800 by Dudley Magistrates Court after being found guilty of fly-tipping following an incident which saw bags of rubbish dumped on Byrne Road in Blakenhall.
The incident, which involved two men using a van hired by the business, was caught on a camera that had been installed by Wolverhampton Council to monitor fly-tipping and officers were able to trace the vehicle to a hire company and identify who had control of the van at the time of the incident.
The director of the business, Sergiu Razvan, admitted to leaving items on the footpath and agreed to pay a £400 Fixed Penalty, but the fine remained unpaid after several weeks.
As a result, a fly-tipping prosecution was brought against the company itself, and the business was found guilty in its absence during a hearing at Dudley Magistrates Court on May 2.
The business was fined £5,000, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £2,000 and costs of £1,851.88, with the costs awarded to the council being reinvested back into its environmental crime service.
Magistrates were told that at 9.40pm on February 27 of 2024 a van was driven from Napier Road to Byrne Road where two men dumped refuse sacks of waste on the footpath, then drove off.
Despite the council issuing a £400 Fixed Penalty Notice and a reminder letter, no payment was received from the business and the prosecution was brought.
A spokesman for Wolverhampton Council said: "The recent court action supports ongoing work under the council’s Shop a Tipper campaign where anyone suspected of dumping rubbish will have their images shared to appeal for information to help identify them.
"If the information provided leads to successful identification, and Fixed Penalty Notices are issued and paid or a prosecution takes place, residents receive a £100 Enjoy Wolverhampton Gift Card.
"Residents can contact 01902 552700 with information or report online at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/fly-tipping."
Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, cabinet member for resident services at Wolverhampton Council, said: “The courts have sent out a very strong message in this case.
“If the business responsible had paid the Fixed Penalty Notice, the council would not have had to prosecute. But as a result, the company is now facing a significant financial penalty.
“I welcome the decision of the courts to take this tough approach. This case clearly shows fly tippers that they should not ignore contact from us and simply hope we will go away.
“Fly tipping is a blight on the local environment and we are continually working to tackle this unpleasant and illegal behaviour. We will take all necessary measures to keep our city clean for residents to enjoy.”
