Fly-tippers warned they could be jailed after latest incident in Southwick

WINCHESTER City Council has warned fly-tippers they could be jailed or fined £50,000 following a recent spate of incidents in the district.
Fly-tippers have been warned they could face jailFly-tippers have been warned they could face jail
Fly-tippers have been warned they could face jail

The most recent incident saw a large trail of waste, including various kitchen items and building materials, that blocked Portchester Lane in Southwick.

The council’s waste removal team spent a morning clearing up the site - with enough evidence discovered to bring a prosecution.

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The city council has reported an increase of waste being dumped across the district with five reported in the last ten days, including a hoover and a mattress being dumped on the A32 between Wickham and Droxford.

On that occasion, the council cleaned up the waste before warning people they could be sent to jail or fined. ‘Fly-tipping is a serious criminal offence which can be punishable by substantial fines up to £50,000 or imprisonment,’ a spokeswoman said.

But the warning does not seem to have deterred those determined to off-load unwanted items.

Now councillor Neil Cutler, deputy leader of the council and ward member for Southwick and Wickham, said: ‘Fly-tipping at this time diverts teams away from the frontline of waste collection and in this case more importantly, could have blocked emergency service vehicles from attending those in need.

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‘We would ask householders, where possible, to store rubbish until the waste recycling centres reopen, and remind people that if they pay someone to take away this material, and this is subsequently fly-tipped, both they and the fly-tipper can and will be prosecuted.’

Fly-tippers can be locked-up for up to five years.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic all household waste and recycling centres across Portsmouth and Hampshire are closed.

District councils are still collecting waste and recycling from homes.

To report a fly-tip either call 0300 300 0013 or report it online by visiting www.winchester.gov.uk/forms/ShowForm.asp?fm_fid=349

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