Northamptonshire woman fined £1,300 for fly-tipping raw meat on farmland

Natalia Szweda dumped a large amount of business waste on the verge and in the adjacent field along Mill Road, Woodford, in August 2015.

While investigating a complaint from a member of the public, East Northamptonshire Council’s (ENC) waste management officers found cooked and uncooked meat products, used plastic food packaging, cardboard and other food products.

Ms Szweda attended Northampton Magistrates Court on 26 April 2016 and pleaded guilty to the offence.

She was ordered to pay £700 legal costs, £150 clear up costs, £390.67 officer costs and a victim surcharge of £60, making the total fine £1,300.67.

She was also given a 12 month community order and a six week curfew from 6pm to 6am every day.

The magistrates did not give a separate penalty to the business as Ms Szweda confirmed it is now closed and she has submitted forms to dissolve the company.

ENC’s waste services manager Charlotte Tompkins said: “We are extremely pleased with this result and believe it is proportionate to the serious nature of the offence.

“I would like to thank the health protection team at Kettering Borough Council for their assistance in tracing the waste to a shop in Kettering.

“We have a zero tolerance policy on any matters of environmental crime and our waste team do all they can to prosecute those who fly-tip in our district.”

If you see somebody fly-tipping, it can be reported online at www.east-northamptonshire.gov.uk/flytipping or by calling 01832 742026.

Anyone who sees anyone else fly-tipping is asked to get as many details as possible, including the time and date of the incident, location of the incident, a description of the person/s involved, a description of the vehicle used and a description of the waste being fly-tipped.