Careless fly-tipper fined £1,000 after ‘egocentric and harmful’ crime caught on CCTV
The driver of a white van received a £1,000 fine after he bizarrely left a trail of white paint across a car park, as he drove off leaving the evidence behind him
In Wiltshire, an unusual crime occurred with a fly-tipper deciding to dump a large can of white paint across a car park and leaving the situation, which resulted in a £1,000 fine.
The suspect in Westbury was caught red-handed on CCTV, leaving a trail of paint behind him in what was ultimately a thoughtless act that saw them pay the price.
While the unloading itself happened just out of camera view, the footage taken from the Warminster Road car park clearly showed that the paint wasn’t there before the vehicle stopped, leaving the perpetrator with a charge on their head.
Following the strange act, Wiltshire Council’s Environmental Enforcement Team launched an investigation after a report from Warminster Town Council saw what had happened after monitoring the CCTV system.
The Officers traced the van to the offender, who came clean and admitted responsibility during an interview under caution.
Fly-tipping is certainly not uncommon, as it comes just months after another person was convicted, but in that instance, for dumping tyres at the same car park, which is clearly getting a reputation.
Wiltshire Councillor Martin Smith picked up on this fact saying: “This is the second successful action at this car park in recent months, following the case of a fly-tipper who dumped tyres here earlier this year.”
He added: “These incidents highlight the effective use of CCTV to enable our enforcement teams to catch offenders and protect our communities.”
The Cabinet member for highways, street scene and flooding was left appalled by what had happened and stated that the act was “selfish and dangerous” as leaving the paint cans and spilling paint across a public car park creates a hazard for residents and costs taxpayers more money to clean up.
He continued: “Preventing pollution and reducing waste is a key priority, to protect Wiltshire’s environment for future generations. Our message is clear, ‘if you fly-tip in Wiltshire, you will be caught and prosecuted’. We thank Warminster Town Council for their continued support, and we remind residents that anyone caught fly-tipping can now face a £1,000 fixed penalty notice or an unlimited fine in court.”
It’s clear that after the continued acts of this offence, they are nailing down this matter following the white paint incident.
Due to an FPN (Fixed Penalty Notice) not being a conviction in court, the person who committed the crime cannot be named.
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