Flytipper jailed for dumping waste on 'industrial scale' including outside Portsmouth church

Robert Hey, 40, ran a firm known as Star Recycling for nearly eight months but was 'reckless, irresponsible and calculating'.

Portsmouth City Council prosecuted Hey, of Upper Arundel Street, Landport, but he ignored warning letters from the authority.

When he was charged he failed to turn up at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court nine times.

When he finally did attend he admitted failing to produce a waste carrier licence and waste transfer notes and was fined £100.

But he denied flytipping and later went on trial in his absence where he was found guilty of five charges.

One charge related to dumping mattresses, wood, window frames and assorted domestic and builders' waste outside Langstone Church in Shore Avenue, Milton, on September 7 last year.

Angela Barnes, church secretary, said the church had been plagued by people repeatedly depositing waste.

She said: ‘It causes a lot of hassle and we're really generous with the car park. We say to the dog walkers we're happy they park there but don't fill it up on Sunday.

‘We give back and then just a small number of people dump stuff there.’

Hey also dumped waste including a jacuzzi in a private residential forecourt in Allens Road, Southsea, on September 14.

In Kiln Road, Copnor, on January 31 last year he left a tipper truck's worth of builders' waste. Hey left rubbish in Ninian Park Road in Copnor on March 20.

Councillor Dave Ashmore, cabinet member for environment and climate change, said: ‘This prosecution demonstrates that we will take action against people who fly-tip and I hope the sentence will act as a deterrent and encourage people to dispose of their waste responsibly and not be tempted to fly-tip.

‘I would also remind residents that if they're going to pay someone to take away their waste they must use someone with a waste carrier licence as they're committing an offence if they don't.’

Hey was jailed for 30 months at Portsmouth Crown Court on December 6.