Landlord convicted of fly-tipping 'could not afford waste collection'
Jalpa Patel, of Cranford Drive, Hayes, west London, who owned the Teddington Hands Inn, Teddington, Gloucestershire, pleaded guilty to fly-tipping and failing to dispose of waste correctly during a hearing at Worcester Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 2 November.
The 35-year-old was fined £1,000, ordered to pay costs of £970 and a statutory surcharge of £100.
Waste build-up
Back in March, Wychavon District Council received reports of 24 bags of waste that had been fly-tipped at locations in Bredon's Norton and Overbury.
Investigations led officers to Patel's pub.
A spokesman for Wychavon District Council said: "When asked to explain her actions in court, Mrs Patel said she had been running the pub on her own while her husband was working elsewhere and had run into financial difficulties.
"As a result, she had been unable to afford her commercial trade waste agreement and because her waste was building up, she decided to dump it."
Blight on beauty
The council spokesman said Patel apologised for her actions and said she was no longer running the pub, and that she was given credit for taking full responsibility for the fly-tip and her previous good character.
About the case, councillor Emma Stokes, executive board member for environment at Wychavon District Council, said: “Fly-tipping is a blight on our beautiful countryside and there is no excuse for it.
"We’re pleased with the sentence in this case, which sends a strong message that Wychavon will not tolerate people dumping their rubbish all over our district and will not hesitate to prosecute offenders."
