Dearne fly-tipping clampdown in Wath Wood

Cabinet member for Roads, Waste and Community Safety Coun Emma Hoddinott with Wath councillors Allan Atkin, Simon Evans and Jayne Elliot on Abdy Lane

Ward councillors Alan Atkin, Jayne Elliot and Simon Evans have been regularly reporting instances of rubbish dumped on the outskirts of Wath Wood.

Now a local man has been prosecuted and ordered to carry out unpaid work in the community after pleading guilty to fly-tipping.

Paul Kelsall, (23), of Duke Street, Swinton, appeared before Rotherham Magistrates on June 29 where he admitted tipping a large amount of domestic waste in woodland alongside a public right of way in Wath-upon-Dearne.

The court heard that an enforcement officer from the Council’s Community Protection Unit found a large amount of waste including cardboard boxes, clothing, food packaging and containers dumped on Abdy Lane last November. Mr Kelsall was later interviewed by officers and admitted the offence.

Magistrates imposed a 12 month Community Order with 40 hours of unpaid work on Kelsall and ordered him to pay a total of £360 including costs and victim surcharge.

A further individual who was due to appear before Magistrates, accused by the Council of fly-tipping of a large amount of builders waste on Derwent Way, West Melton, failed to attend and the court issued a warrant for their arrest.

Following the prosecution, Coun Emma Hoddinott, Rotherham Council’s Cabinet Member for Waste, Roads and Community Safety, said: “Fly tipping is a real blight, destroying beauty spots and costing Council Tax payers a considerable amount in cleaning up illegal dumping.

“The Council is committed to tackling fly tipping and will not hesitate to prosecute the perpetrators of these anti-social offences.”

Speaking on behalf of the ward councillors, Coun Alan Atkin, added: “There have been numerous complaints about tipping in this area so we are delighted that the Council has successfully prosecuted one of the offenders.

“We hope it sends a strong message to others that if they are found to have dumped waste, then there will be consequences for them.”

If anyone witnesses a fly tipping incident they can contact the Council on 01709 336003 or report it online by visiting the www.rotherham.gov.uk/report website. The Council says the cost of clean up after fly-tipping is about £87,600 per year.