Borough declares war on Northampton's bogus waste carriers using Northampton as a rubbish tip

Borough council chiefs are going to war on bogus waste carriers using Northampton as a dumping ground.

Complaints about a pile of old parasols left in Duston Mill Lane brought an urgent response from the authority warning residents to be wary of offers to get rid of rubbish.

And they issued an urgent reminder that any junk traced back to its owners could result in them being fined.

Councillor Mike Hallam, cabinet member for environment, said: “Our strong suspicion is that this is the result of a bogus waste carrier being hired to dispose of someone’s unwanted belongings.

“We have staff investigating this particular incident and if we find evidence we will take further action.

“It is vital when employing someone for this kind of work, that people ensure a valid waste carrier’s licence is in place. Fly-tips like this which are traced back to the original owners can result in heavy penalties.

"Fly-tipping in any form is not acceptable and in cases where we are able to enforce, we do.

“I would urge anyone who cares about the state of our town to keep an eye open for this kind of activity and provide us with evidence or witness statements which are often the only proof we have.”

If you see anybody fly-tipping, report the details here: [email protected]

One Duston resident said: "This pile of rubbish in Duston Mill Lane included a lot of parasols that obviously came from the same place, maybe a pub or cafe or somewhere similar.

"Fly-tipping in this area is a problem and dangerous to members of the public and children walking down the lane."

Back in December last year, magistrates fined a Northampton woman nearly £500 plus costs after she hired a contractor to take away rubbish without vetting the business.

Sacks of waste the woman believed were being disposed of properly turned up in a nearby street and were tracked back to the original owner.

Councillor Hallam added: “This is a common mistake which leaves people open to prosecution.

“Your waste is your responsibility, so unless it is disposed of responsibly it could come back to haunt you.”

Reports of fly-tipping increased during the Covid-19 crisis as County Council Household Waste Recycling Centres closed for eight weeks.

All the county's nine tips reopened on May 18 but some are still seeing queues as number of visitors are limited to maintain social distancing.

Traders are required by law to hold a waste carrier’s licence, and anyone employing a contractor should ask to see this as well as obtaining their vehicle details.

Anyone who wants to employ a contractor to dispose of waste should ask for a transfer note or receipt from the contractor, checking where the waste is going, and making a note of any other details they feel might be useful.