A builder who paid unlicensed waste carriers to take away his rubbish which was later found dumped in a field has been ordered to pay more than £1,800.
The first pile of waste was discovered in a field off Hospital Lane in Lemington by a woman who was walking her dog on August 8 last year.
The haul consisted of mattresses, doors, stools, lamps, an air fryer, laminate flooring and bin bags filled with food waste.
The following day the woman, who lived nearby, spotted two men unloading more rubbish from a white Transit van in the same field.
A third pile was waste, which consisted of mattresses, a printer and broken plasterboard, was then found dumped in the same spot on August 10.
An investigation by Newcastle City Council's environmental protection team traced the rubbish back to builder John Ellis, who attended an interview under caution at Newcastle Civic Centre.
Ellis, 63, said he paid to have waste taken away on three occasions but he failed to carry out proper checks to ensure the people were licensed.
He admitted this was a mistake and said it would not happen again.
Ellis of Meadow Road, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to six counts of failing in his duty of care to ensure his waste was disposed of legally.
Appearing at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court on February 29, he was fined £933 and ordered to pay a £373 victim surcharge and £499.74 in costs.
Cllr Irim Ali, Cabinet member for a Dynamic City at Newcastle City Council, said: “This case sends out a clear warning that those disposing of waste are responsible for what happens to it.
“We regularly remind people to always check that anyone taking away their rubbish is registered with the Environment Agency.
“If your waste has been dumped illegally and we trace it back to you, we will not hesitate to action and you will be penalised.”
To find registered waste carriers, visit https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/index.
To report a fly-tipping incident, call the Council on 0191 278 7878 and ask for environmental health or email psr@newcastle.gov.uk.