Man fined £400 for dumping pile of asbestos

Max Long, 26, was caught after a member of the public spotted the dumped material in Chilgrove Road in West Dean, in the Chichester countryside, last August.

Council officers found paperwork among the debris that allowed the enforcement officer to trace the material back to the homeowners, who confirmed they paid Mr Long to remove and replace the roof.

Mr Long was interviewed under caution and admitted the offence.

He agreed to pay a fixed penalty notice of £400.

Louise Rudziak, head of environment and housing services at Chichester District Council, said: ‘In the last three years the council has spent more than £142,000 clearing away illegally dumped waste, and that doesn’t include removing harmful material like asbestos.

‘Everyone, including both householders and businesses, is responsible for making sure waste is disposed of safely and legally.

‘If you have not taken all reasonable measures to ensure your waste is being disposed of legally and you give your waste to someone who isn’t authorised to take it or your waste is fly tipped, you – as well as the fly tipper – could be prosecuted or issued with a fixed penalty notice.

To check whether a waste carrier is legally registered visit environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/index