Caught on camera: Flytipper fined after footage records him dumping waste twice within a week

Steven Matthew Gillan was filmed on two occasions within the space of seven days by a camera installed by Durham County Council as part of its Operation Stop It campaign to reduce flytipping.

He now has to pay £320 following a prosecution by the council.

Gillan, 59, of St Paul’s Road, Trimdon Colliery, pleaded guilty to two counts of depositing controlled waste on land which does not benefit from an environmental permit, at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court.

The council’s solicitor outlined how the authority set up CCTV on land beside Fishburn Electrical Substation, at Salters Lane, Trimdon, after residents raised concerns, with signs warning a camera was in operation.

Yet magistrates were told that on April 8 last year, a council neighbourhood warden found household builders’ waste dumped at the site and then once again on April 15.

When the cameras were checked, the same two men were seen ditching building waste and rubble from the same vehicle, which was used to trace Gillan.

Attempts were made to interview him and when he did not co-operate, a fixed penalty notice was issued.

This was not paid and he was taken to court.

In his defence, magistrates were told Gillan had been out of work and was asked to help someone in return for money.

The defendant claimed he was just following orders in order to make cash and didn’t know he was doing anything wrong.

Gillan was fined £120 and ordered to pay costs of £160 and a victim surcharge of £30.

The other man was prosecuted by the council in September and convicted of the same two offences.

Oliver Sherratt, the council’s head of environment, said: “We know residents in County Durham are disgusted by fly-tipping and we feel exactly the same.

“Thanks to these Mr Gillan now finds himself hundreds of pounds worse off and with criminal convictions and we hope what happened to him serves as warning to anyone tempted to follow his example.”

Information on ways to dispose of waste can be found at https://www.durham.gov.uk/recycling.

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