A Bury St Edmunds restaurant owner who blamed two of his customers after fly-tipped rubbish was traced back to him has been fined.

Junk including black sacks, carpet, cardboard, rubble, an oil fryer, a mattress and wood was found dumped in Rushbrooke Road, Bury, in May and traced back to Nurul Alam.

Alam, who owns the Spice Garden in Risbygate Street, claimed when interviewed by officials from West Suffolk Council, that two men eating in his restaurant had offered to take the waste to the recycling centre for him for £60.

However Alam could provide no details of the men, no contact details, no details of the van they used and did not have a receipt.

He said he was new to the area and did not know where to dispose of the waste. However, days before he had entered into a commercial waste agreement with West Suffolk Council and could have taken the opportunity to ask for advice about the disposal of the rubbish.

Ipswich Magistrates Court heard that Alam had since paid the council the £225 cost for removing the rubbish.

He was fined £359, and ordered to pay costs of £450 plus a victim surcharge of £35.

Speaking after the hearing Mark Walsh, assistant director for operations at the council said: "Whether you are a resident or a business, it is an offence to pay someone who is not a licensed waste handler to dispose of your rubbish.

"Where we find evidence we will prosecute those responsible for fly tipping including those who haven't taken precautionary steps to ensure the people they pay to dispose of waste on their behalf, are properly licensed to do so."