Fury over Nuneaton fly-tipper's sentence as farmer fumes 'no deterrent'

[dutchman]

He said rural Britain is becoming a 'dumping ground'



Fury has erupted over the sentence given to a Nuneaton fly-tipper caught red-handed dumping rubbish near a farm. Livid farmer Charles Goadby told CoventryLive he was stunned that Callum Smith was only given a community order.

Charles' nephew caught the 31-year-old in action on camera, dumping a mound of waste on Church End North Warwickshire. In court, Smith, of Brights Road, was given a community order, a £500 fine and was ordered to carry out community service.

Mr Goadby slammed the court system and said that the sentence was 'no deterrent' and added that he doubts the fine given out would even cover the costs to bring Smith to justice.

As a passionate and campaigning member of the farming community, he said punishments 'should fit the crime', which he said was blighting not only the countryside locally but also nationally.

He added it also took more than two years to bring the case to court following the incident in September 2022. "Rural Britain is becoming a dumping ground with field gateways and laybys regularly filled with household or industrial waste," he said.

"Sentences such as that imposed on Callum Smith are no deterrent and it’s about time the courts used the powers they have to back up the police and local communities to deliver punishments that fit the crime. I doubt that the fine imposed would have even covered the court costs let alone gone any way towards the £392 million annual cost to the taxpayer of dealing with fly tipping and waste crimes of this nature."

In a statement, Warwickshire Police said: "Illegal waste disposal can cause significant consequences in communities and the local environment. People convicted of fly-tipping can face an unlimited fine and/or a prison sentence - find out more about how to report it on our website."