A BRIDGWATER man has been ordered to pay fines and costs totalling more than £2,100 after being prosecuted for fly-tipping.

Anthony Painter, of Highcroft, Woolavington, pleaded guilty plea at North Somerset Magistrates Court to a charge brought by the council for fly-tipping waste at Yanley Lane in Long Ashton.

He was given a £1,386 fine, a victim surcharge of £139 and was ordered to pay compensation of £79.48 and costs of £510 - a total of £2,114.48 following the prosecution, brought by North Somerset Council.

The fly-tipped waste consisted of mixed household waste including cardboard, plastic, electrical items, tiles and metal. The offence was captured on CCTV in the area.

Having obtained the vehicle registration number of the vehicle used, officers found that Mr Painter was the registered keeper of the vehicle at the time the offence took place.

Welcoming the outcome of the prosecution, Cllr Mike Solomon, the council's executive member for neighbourhoods and community services, said: “Fly-tipping is completely unacceptable and has a negative impact on our local environment and communities.

“All incidents of fly-tipping in North Somerset are fully investigated by our teams and we issue fixed penalty notices or prosecute individuals when sufficient evidence is found.

“We are also working with enforcement company Local Authority Support to step up our enforcement of environmental offences such as littering, dog fouling and other anti-social behaviour which will not be tolerated in North Somerset."

Follow these simple steps to make sure your waste is disposed legally:

S - Suspect all waste carriers. Don't let them take your waste until they have proven themselves to be legitimate. A professional waste carrier should happily answer reasonable questions.

C - Check that a waste carrier is registered on the Environment Agency's website.

R - Refuse any unexpected offers to have your rubbish taken away.

A - Ask what will happen to your rubbish and seek evidence that it is going to be disposed of appropriately.

P - Paperwork must be obtained - a proper invoice, waste transfer note or receipt, including a description of the waste being removed and the waste carrier’s contact details.

Household waste can be disposed of at any of the council recycling centres at Backwell, Portishead and Weston-super-Mare.

Residents who find fly-tipped waste are encouraged to report it online to the council as soon as possible at www.n-somerset.gov.uk/flytipping.