Man caught flytipping seven times in seven months

The Environment Agency dubbed the man one of the country’s unluckiest flytippers after spy cameras repeatedly caught him dumping waste at a series of spots around Nottinghamshire.

Ian Goldsmith, 47, of St Anns, Nottingham, pleaded guilty to seven charges of flytipping and was also ordered to pay £582 in compensation to Nottingham City County and Broxtowe Borough Council, along with £700 in costs to the Environment Agency.

The community order required Mr Goldsmith to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work in the community. He also narrowly missed a driving disqualification, as the Court wanted him to carry on working in order to pay the compensation and costs.

Prosecuting for the Environment Agency, Kiran Cassini told Nottingham Magistrates’ Court that Mr Goldsmith had been captured on camera on four separate occasions dumping waste tyres at Racecourse Road, Colwick, in September 2008.

He was also witnessed flytipping tyres in St Anns. Further dumps were caught on camera in February and March 2009 at Coventry Lane, Broxtowe.

The investigation began in September 2008 when a hidden camera was retrieved from Racecourse Road, Colwick. Mr Goldsmith was shown removing tyres from a car and throwing them onto the ground on four different dates.

On October 6, Mr Goldsmith was then witnessed by a local resident dumping tyres at Robin Hood Chase, St Anns.

Shortly afterwards Nottingham City Council, using the Operation Maid Marion flytipping partnership, called upon the expertise of the Environment Agency’s Environmental Crime Team which conducted its own investigation. Mr Goldsmith was filmed dumping tyres at Coventry Lane, Broxtowe, on 23 February and 2 March 2009.

The court heard that Mr Goldsmith was arrested in May 2009. When interviewed he admitted dumping the tyres on all seven occasions on behalf of a local tyre company.

Investigating Officer, Mark Thomas of the Environment Agency’s Environmental Crime Team said: “Ian Goldsmith is a serial tyre flytipper and has been responsible for a sustained campaign of flytipping until his arrest in May 2009.

“The crimes took place mainly in beauty spots across Broxtowe and the City of Nottingham, committing the majority of his offences in broad daylight, later under the cover of darkness.

“This was a joint effort between Nottingham City Council and the Environment Agency as part of Operation Maid Marian.

“The inquiry indicated the tyres came from a commercial premises and I would advise all businesses that they have a legal responsibility to ensure the waste they produce is passed to a legitimate carrier or disposer”.

Cllr Katrina Bull, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Climate Change at Nottingham City Council, said: “Dumping rubbish is illegal and can be very dangerous. It also makes neighbourhoods look untidy and unsafe.

“Along with the Environment Agency we work hard in Nottingham to clampdown on flytipping and have a team of dedicated officers who work hard to keep the city free of waste. Our partners are committed to working together, sharing information and using the latest technology to crack down on flytippers to make the county a better place for residents and visitors alike.

“Unfortunately a minority still continue to flytip and members of the public need to be aware that they have a duty of care under the Environmental Protection Act to prevent the escape of their waste and not to allow unlicensed waste carriers to remove it.”

In mitigation, the Court was told that Ian Goldsmith was sorry for his actions. In passing sentence, the Court stated that the offences were very serious and that his actions showed a callous disregard for Environmental Laws.

The Court however did take into account Mr Goldsmith’s early guilty plea and the fact that he had cooperated with the Environment Agency.

The charges were brought by the Environment Agency under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.