Fly-tipping prosecution secured by the Royal Borough

Two eagle-eyed residents have helped the Royal Borough secure prosecutions against three young men who illegally dumped waste in Wraysbury last year.

The evidence was heard when two of the three defendants appeared at Reading Magistrates' Court last week charged with fly-tipping offences.

On Monday 13 August Thomas George Edmonds, 19, of New Road, Holyport, was convicted of two offences of fly-tipping builders' and household waste in Wraysbury. He was fined a total of £800 and ordered to pay £1,000 in prosecution costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

On Thursday 16 August at the same court Toby Callandine, also 19, of Wharf Road, Wraysbury, was convicted of involvement in the first of the two offences and received a 12-month conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £300 towards prosecution costs.

The juvenile, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had also received a 12-month conditional discharge for the first offence at an earlier court hearing, where he was ordered to pay £85 towards prosecution costs.

The court heard that on 26 May 2011 the three men went to Wraysbury in Edmonds' tipper truck where they were seen by a local resident who knows the three young men by name in a neighbouring road just before waste was dumped at a gated entrance in King Johns Close, Wraysbury.

Another local resident subsequently saw Mr Callandine and Mr Edwards make their way from the side to the front of the truck before the vehicle drove away from the gated entrance. The juvenile remained in the truck. The second resident gave chase and noted the truck's registration number which was later passed to the Royal Borough for investigation.

On 4 June 2011 the same resident who gave chase on 26 May became aware of another quantity of builders' and household waste dumped at the same location in King Johns Close, Wraysbury. Several items of correspondence relating to Edmonds were found within the waste.

Cllr Phill Bicknell, cabinet member for highways, transport and environment, said: "I am delighted that once again the Royal Borough has secured a prosecution against individuals who clearly have no respect for the area and think they can just dump their waste and literally drive away.

"I would like to thank the two eagle-eyed residents for reporting the offenders so that we could take the necessary action and ensure justice was done. It sends a clear message that fly-tipping is a criminal offence and we will do all we can to ensure the criminals are caught and prosecuted."

Anyone who witnesses fly-tipping can report it to the Council on the fly-tipping hotline 0500 885055.

How do you rate this information/service?