Fly-tipping five banned from Northamptonshire after causing misery across county

Five people have been banned from Northamptonshire after blighting the county by dumping large amounts of rubbish.

Andrew Birt, Albert Parker, Fred Butcher, Rosemary Todd and Kelly Parker, most recently of Lilford Road in Achurch, between Thrapston and Oundle were fined a total of £12,000 for breaching community protection notices and given criminal behaviour orders at Northampton Magistrates' Court.

The group, who have been trading under the name ‘Approved Roofing Services’ or ‘Roofing Services’, have been moving around the county for several years and at each location they have settled and left numerous piles of rubbish and waste material from their business activities on verges and car parks.

During 2019, they were between Attley Way and Diamond Way in Irthlingborough and accumulated waste and commercial vehicles leading to residents making complaints to Northamptonshire Police and councils. Reports ranged from nuisance dogs, blocked roads, anti-social behaviour, violence and large accumulations of rubbish.

Since 2019, the group have also spent time at several locations around Rushden, Amos Lawrence Park, Stanwick Road, Raunds, Park Farm Industrial Estate in Wellingborough and several locations around the A510 between Cranford Road and Woodford. At each location, hazardous material, human waste, commercial waste was all left for council workers to clear up.

They were given community protection notices, banning them from continuing their anti-social activities, but they were ignored and the group showed 'little remorse' when they met council officers, leading to a prosecution by North Northamptonshire Council (NNC).

Several hundred pieces of evidence were gathered, documenting the blight left by the group who did not attend their magistrates' court hearing on October 12. The case was heard in their absence and all five were found guilty of breaching community protection notices and each defendant was ordered to pay just under £2,500 each in fines and costs.

All five were given criminal behaviour orders, banning them from settling on any land in Northamptonshire without written consent of both the landowner and either North Northamptonshire Council or West Northamptonshire Council. They are also no longer allowed to carry out any waste services, carry any waste in vehicles or illegally deposit waste of any nature, including human waste on any land within Northamptonshire.

Cllr Graham Lawman, NNC executive member for highways, travel and assets, said: “Behaviour like this is completely irresponsible and never acceptable and this case had a wider, long term and negative impact on other residents in the surrounding area, for whom they showed scant regard.

"Sadly, although exceptional, this case is not unusual and our officers will always try to work with and educate offenders, but, continue to prosecute when appropriate.”

Cllr David Howes, NNC executive member for rural communities and localism, said: “We are very fortunate to live in a beautiful part of the country and cases like this have an extremely negative impact on our area. I would encourage anyone who spots fly-tipping or anti-social behaviour to report it.”

The group vacated the county on October 17.