Northampton man hit with £1,141 fine after cowboy traders dumped his bathroom building materials

South Northamptonshire Council fined Borrowdale Walk resident Damanjot Gaubrey , 30, a total of £1,141, after he admitted paying for the removal of builders' waste without confirming it would be disposed of legally.

On Friday, May 13, 2016, documents with his address were found in one of three piles of waste dumped in separate locations close to Castle Ashby.

Deputy leader at South Northants, Councillor Phil Bignell, said: “In February we appealed for witnesses after 40 black bags of vegetation were found dumped in this area.

“The rules are clear. If you produce any kind of waste you are responsible for it. And if you pay some to take it away, you must be confident they will not dispose of it illegally and leave you facing a magistrate.

“It seems Northampton’s proximity to the tranquil countryside around Castle Ashby is a tempting target for rogue traders, so I would urge town residents to think carefully about who they pay to dispose of their waste.”

In a recorded interview conducted by South Northants' environmental enforcement officers, Gaubrey said that he had not drawn up an agreement with the tradesmen to dispose of the waste as part of work to replace a bathroom and heating system.

Later, someone arrived at the address unannounced claiming to represent JC Paving and an agreement was struck to dispose of the waste.

Gaubrey, whose home is just off Kettering Road, took a business card and made note of his vehicle registration number.

Checks later found that the business card was fake and the registered keeper of the vehicle stated the person who agreed to take away the waste was a traveller, was no longer in the area and that he did not have his contact details.

Anyone disposing of waste from their property must take reasonable measures to ensure the person taking it away is authorised to do so.

Authorised waste carriers must have a waste carrier’s licence and householders are advised to obtain a receipt.