Business fined after ignoring fly-tipping penalty

A business that ignored a £400 council penalty for fly tipping has been ordered to pay more than £8,800 by magistrates.

City of Wolverhampton Council said two men, using a van that had been hired by business Sergiu Razvan Ed Ltd, dumped bags of rubbish at night in Byrne Road, Blakenall.

The incident was caught on a camera that had been installed by the council to monitor fly tipping.

Officers were able to trace the vehicle to a hire company and identify who had control of the van at the time of the incident.

The council said the director of the business, Sergiu Razvan, 32, admitted to leaving items on the footpath and agreed to pay a £400 fixed penalty. However, after several weeks, the fine remained unpaid.

As a result, a fly-tipping prosecution was brought against the company itself, and the business was found guilty in its absence during a hearing at Dudley Magistrates Court on 2 May.

The business was fined £5,000, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £2,000 and costs of £1,851.88.

City of Wolverhampton Council said the costs awarded to the council would be reinvested into its environmental crime service.

Magistrates were told that at 21:40 GMT on 27 February, 2024, a van was driven from Napier Road to Byrne Road where two men dumped refuse sacks of waste on the footpath. The van then drove off.

Despite the council issuing a £400 Fixed Penalty Notice and a reminder letter, no payment was received from the business and the prosecution was brought.

The court action supports a council Shop a Tipper campaign, where suspects' images are shared to help identify them.

Successful cases can result in residents receiving a £100 gift card.

Council cabinet member Bhupinder Gakhal said: "Fly tipping is a blight on the local environment and we are continually working to tackle this unpleasant and illegal behaviour.

"We will take all necessary measures to keep our city clean for residents to enjoy."

The council reminded residents that waste could be disposed of free of charge at the city's household waste and recycling centres.

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