A MAN has been ordered to pay more than £1,400 in fines and costs after pleading guilty to failing to ensure waste taken from his home was properly disposed of.

Jamie Bryant, 31, of Burnside Road, Darlington, admitted breaching Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 by failing to ensure household waste was transported by an authorised person.

He was fined £840 and ordered to pay £502.56 costs and £84 victim surcharge at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

The court heard how a member of Darlington Borough Council street scene enforcement team was on patrol when he found large quantities of mixed waste blocking Old Mill Lane, Middleton St George.

The waste included some lighting, tins of paint, wallpaper, packaging and carpet along with some papers with an address in Burnside Road, Darlington. Checks confirmed that Bryant lived at the address and a letter was hand delivered requesting an interview, as there was no answer at the door.

Bryant attended an interview and confirmed he had been carrying out renovation at his property and had a lot of rubbish at the front. He had arranged for collection, but had been let down a couple of times, when a man came past one day and offered to take it away to the tip for £40.

He confirmed the items found in Old Mill Lane did belong to him. CCTV footage of Burnside Road was reviewed during the relevant time period, but there was no trace of the vehicle used to transport the waste.

Councillor Nick Wallis, Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet member for leisure and local environment, said: “This case acts as a clear reminder to householders that they have a duty of care to ensure that anyone they hire to transport and dispose of waste on their behalf must be authorised to do so.

“It is not enough to say you did not know the waste was fly tipped and we will take enforcement action.”

He added: “The annual cost of street cleaning and clearing up after fly tippers costs Darlington tax payers approximately £1.5m a year.”

For details on the correct means of disposing of waste visit www.darlington.gov.uk