Coventry fly-tippers caught dumping truckload of waste fined over £1,500

[dutchman]

Alex Donal and Paul Harridence dumped black bags filled with soil, metal and ceramics in Corley



A pair of fly-tippers from Coventry have been fined more than £1,500 after they were caught dumping black bags filled with soil, metal and ceramics onto rural land in North Warwickshire. Alex Donal and Paul Harridence were seen throwing the truckload of waste from their van in Corley.

Donal, 29, and Harridence, 24, dumped black bags and cardboard boxes filled with waste on Burrow Hill Lane, Corley on November 19, 2021. A police helicopter had been deployed in the area on an unrelated matter when the flight operator spotted a stationary van near the wooded land.

Noticing something was amiss, the eagle-eyed flight operator decided to record the incident on thermal imaging cameras before calling the police who happened to be nearby. Officers reached the scene within two minutes and blocked the van in to stop the pair from escaping.

At this stage, the van reversed, and Donal and Harridence got out and started to put the waste back in the van. North Warwickshire Borough Council took the decision to prosecute the pair in a bid to 'combat-fly-tipping' in the district.

A court heard the defendants discuss their personal circumstances, which included their income and savings, and found the fly-tipping to be deliberate with no clear-up costs. Alex Donal, of Boswell Drive, and Carl Harridence, of Bronte Walk, pleaded guilty to offences under S33 Environmental Protection Act 1990 at Coventry Magistrates' Court on Wednesday (September 28).

After giving credit for early guilty pleas, the court fined the pair £500 each. Donal, 29, and Harridence, 24, were also ordered to pay legal costs of £125, investigation costs of £155, as well as a £50 victim surcharge. Costs amounted to approximately £1,660 combined.

Leader of the Council Cllr David Wright said: “North Warwickshire Borough Council is delighted with this verdict, which has been very timely as we are currently hosting a partnership week of action to combat fly-tipping. We are very grateful to the police officers involved in this case and the outcome will hopefully come as a stark warning to those who are considering fly-tipping and highlight that the council investigates all reports and will not hesitate to prosecute.”