A man who hired a van to dump a fridge freezer in the middle of a Salford street told council officers 'sorry, I didn’t know it was illegal'.
Benjamin Obejo pleaded guilty to illegally dumping a fridge freezer, black bin bags and other items on land at Harding Street, Salford, when he appeared at Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court today (Thursday, February 10).
The defendant, of Silsden Walk, Salford, was fined £200 and ordered to pay costs of £1000 and a victim surcharge of £34.
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The court heard that officers from Salford City Council’s CCTV team saw the driver and passenger of the liveried rented van dumping the fridge freezer, bin bags, and other waste, on land at Harding Street, just after 11pm on Tuesday September 15, 2020.
Officers traced Obejo, 45, as the person who had hired the van and he was interviewed under caution.
He admitted hiring the van, dumping the household waste and, when asked to explain why he had not disposed of the waste properly at a household waste recycling centre he said: “It was late. Nowhere was open. Sorry.”
When asked how he would feel if someone illegally dumped waste on land where he lived he said he wouldn’t like it.
Speaking after the case, Councillor David Lancaster, lead member for environment, neighbourhoods and community safety, said: “How anyone can think it’s right to dump waste in the middle of the street when it could and should have been taken to a household recycling centre baffles me.
“I hope this case sends out a strong message that fly-tipping is not acceptable in Salford and we will not hesitate to prosecute offenders using CCTV evidence or information from the public.”
