A man has been forced to pay more than £1,500 for fly-tipping after his address was found on a letter in a pile of rubbish dumped on the side of the road, leading the police right to his front door.

East Anglian Daily Times: Rubbish which had been fly-tipped in Drakestone Green, Semer. Picture: BABERGH AND MID SUFFOLK DISTRICT COUNCILRubbish which had been fly-tipped in Drakestone Green, Semer. Picture: BABERGH AND MID SUFFOLK DISTRICT COUNCIL (Image: Archant)

Andrew Wall, who was living in the High Street, Needham Market at the time of his offence, dumped 12 sacks of household waste in November 2018 at the roadside in Stonebridge Lane, Stowupland.

Sgt Brian Calver from the Suffolk's Rural Policing team found the sacks during a patrol, and discovered they included items showing Mr Wall's address.

An arrest warrant was issued following Mr Wall's repeated failure to appear at court. On 30 September 2019, Mr Wall pleaded guilty to the offence.

He told the court that he had failed to comply with his responsibility by checking the person he had asked to take his rubbish away was certified.

East Anglian Daily Times: Rubbish which had been fly-tipped in Drakestone Green, Semer. Picture: BABERGH AND MID SUFFOLK DISTRICT COUNCILRubbish which had been fly-tipped in Drakestone Green, Semer. Picture: BABERGH AND MID SUFFOLK DISTRICT COUNCIL (Image: Archant)

He received a £1,000 fine, along with costs of £477.41 and a victim surcharge of £100.

In a separate case, another man was also fined after he was seen tipping waste into a ditch by a member of the public. Ionel Stanescu, of Sirdar Road, Ipswich, dumped items including a hot water tank jacket in September 2018 in Drakestone Green, Semer.

He attended Ipswich Magistrates' Court on September 16 and pleaded guilty to the offence. He told the court he ran a scrap waste business and alleged he had been told he could drop the waste there.

Taking account of his guilty plea, the court fined Mr Stanescu £720, along with costs of £708.67 and a victim surcharge of £72.

Councillor Elisabeth Malvisi, Babergh District Council's cabinet member for the environment, said: "This is a great result for our Environmental Protection team, and it goes to show how powerful witnesses can be in providing crucial evidence.

"We hope that this makes clear the consequences of anyone thinking of fly-tipping in our district and encourages others who see something in the district to report it to us."

Sgt Brian Calver from the Rural Policing team, said: "Our rural county is blighted by the selfish actions of a minority who think they have the right to deposit waste as and where they like.

"We will continue to work with local authorities in order to bring to justice those that commit these offences and ensure they are suitably punished."