A FATHER-of-two has admitted he regrets dumping tree cuttings and green waste in a fly-tipping hotspot after covert CCTV caught him in the act.

Christopher Myers, of Rockingham Road, Sunnybrow, was caught unloading a substantial amount of waste on a camera set up in the Binchester Plantation, near Bishop Auckland.

The fresh fly tip, which also included bricks, had been dumped by Myers and another unidentified male after the pair had driven a Ford Transit van into the area in May 2015.

Durham County Council neighbourhood wardens traced the waste back to Myers shortly after the CCTV footage was reviewed, but several attempts to contact the father-of-two went unanswered.

Catherine Hazell, prosecuting on behalf of Durham County Council in Darlington Magistrates’ Court yesterday (May 23), said: “It cost Durham County Council £430,000 during the financial year 2014 to 2015 to deal with 6,800 fly tips.

“This has a significant impact on the council’s budget in difficult financial times and it cost £205.10 to remove this fly tip.”

Marion Howarth, chairman of the bench , took a dim view of Myers, who told the court he had been distracted from getting back to the authority as his mother was terminally ill.

Mrs Howarth said: “If everyone had your attitude can you imagine what our countryside would be like? It’s for everyone to enjoy – it’s not a dumping ground.”

Myers apologised for dumping the waste and said: “It was only the green waste off me. I know I was in the wrong.”

He pleaded guilty to depositing the waste without a proper licence and to failing to provide Durham County Council with more information on the incident.

He was fined £370 and ordered to pay £335.10 in costs and a £37 victim surcharge.