A councillor hopes a continued crackdown on fly-tipping will deter residents from dumping waste in public in the future.
Breckland Council’s Environmental Enforcement Team recently handed out £1,650 in fines after four recent incidents.
Cllr Helen Crane, executive member for waste, environmental health, licensing and sustainability at Breckland Council, said littering and fly-tipping continue to be a source of annoyance for residents.
DIY waste disposed of on Melford Common, Thetford. Picture: Breckland Council
It also caused damage to ‘our beautiful district’, she said.
The first incident, in Great Ellingham, saw a large amount of green waste, mainly moss, dumped by the side of a road.
A local landowner reported a vehicle involved, which allowed the authority to trace the culprit and issue a £400 fine.
Discarded items at Abbey Estate green. Picture: Breckland Council
The second incident saw a resident of Melford Common, Thetford, fined £500 for discarding garden fencing on the side of a public footpath.
The culprit refused to clear it away or have it removed, leading to obstructions for members of the public trying to use the path.
Another incident in Thetford saw people leave waste on the site of the Abbey Estate.
A spokesperson for Breckland Council said all of these items could have been disposed off for free at a recycling centre less than two miles away.
Unwanted items dumped near woodland despite a recycling centre being less than two miles away. Picture: Breckland Council
The authority was tipped off by a member of the public, who spotted several people fly-tipping.
An address was identified and a resident was fined £50 despite claims they had paid a waste carrier to dispose of the rubbish.
In the final case, officers were tipped off about litter next to a secluded track in Harling Woods.
This was linked to a nearby business, which confirmed that a member of staff was using the address to order personal items.
This member of staff was fined £250 and is now under investigation by their employer.
Cllr Crane added: “With the help of our communities, Breckland Council is addressing the problem and working towards creating a cleaner, tidier environment for everybody.
“As these cases show, we will do everything we can to track down the minority who are harming our district, and the information our residents provide goes a long way in helping identify those responsible.
“I hope this will deter incidents in the future.”
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