Fly-tipper fined over £1k for dumping waste discovered in Hemel Hempstead

A man has been fined over £1,000 after admitting to dumping waste by a garage in Hemel Hempstead.

Dacorum Borough Council has successfully prosecuted Jake Putman of Hasedines Road, Hemel Hempstead.

He pleaded guilty to a fly-tipping charge which was linked to waste discovered in Paston Road.

Last Wednesday (14 June) at Hatfield Remand Court, Putman pleaded guilty to the unauthorised deposit of controlled waste.

Rubbish was found by the garage on 4 September 2022, and as a result the defendant was ordered to pay costs of £500 and a victim surcharge of £192, on top of a £480 fine.

An environmental enforcement officer discovered a large pile of dumped household rubbish, which included packaging with the defendant’s details. This led to the police interviewing Putman, he was brought before St Albans Magistrates Court on an arrest warrant in March 2023.

He was fined that day, receiving a fixed penalty notice of £400, however Putman failed to pay or contact Dacorum Borough Council, despite reminders.

Dacorum Borough Council escalated the matter but Putman did not attend when summoned to St Albans Magistrates Court on 1 March 2023.

He skipped a second hearing nine days later so the court acquired a warrant for his arrest.

Councillor Robin Bromham said: “Fly-tipping causes great distress for residents whose streets, lanes or alleys are blighted by this law-breaking. Clearing it up costs money from our council tax, which would otherwise be spent on improving the neighbourhoods, towns and villages of Dacorum. I hope this prosecution serves as a deterrent to others who might make this kind of mess. Sometimes it can be frustrating if we don’t have transport or when the recycling centre is unavailable, and that’s when we can use the Dacorum Bulky Items Collection service which costs £50 (or £77, depending on quantity).”

Dacorum Borough Council is part of the Hertfordshire Fly Tipping Group (HFTG). This is a multi-agency taskforce including the borough, district and county councils as well as Hertfordshire Constabulary, Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Herts Fire and Rescue, the Environment Agency and the National Farmers' Union.

More information on the campaign can be found online here.