Waste carrier successfully convicted of fly-tipping offences
A licensed waste carrier operating in South Derbyshire has been successfully convicted of two fly-tipping offences.
Thomas Chetwyn, 37, has been ordered to pay a total of £4,579.72 after admitting to the offences at Derby Magistrates’ Court on 19 May 2026.
Diligent investigators from South Derbyshire District Council’s Environmental Health team inspected the material fly-tipped at Moor Lane and found incriminating paperwork. Officers successfully identified Mr Chetwyn and built a strong case leading to his conviction.
Mr Chetwyn has now been fined £1,000, in addition to being ordered to pay £2,308.32 in compensation to the Council and a further £1,271.40 in prosecution costs.
A licensed waste carrier, Chetwyn was instructed by a builder to dispose of building waste from a property, and on this occasion did not fulfil his duties.
Sentencing, His Honour Judge Straw stated:
“Matters like this are becoming a real issue and problem - waste dumped on roadsides throughout the county; piled up, representing all sorts of dangers and hazards, as well as being an unsightly mess.”
Fly-tipping is the illegal disposal of controlled waste on land which has no licence to accept it. The crime is prosecuted under sections 33 and 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and can result in up to five years’ imprisonment or an unlimited fine.
This prosecution related to the disposal of building materials, including wood pallets, timber decking, plastic sheeting and other plastic wrappings, plastic construction materials, differing types of insulation materials and green waste consisting of tree/shrub trimmings, on Moor Lane, Barrow upon Trent, on or around 26 April 2024.
Cllr Stephen Taylor, Chair of the Environmental and Development Services Committee, said:
"Fly-tipping is a serious offence. It’s becoming a real national problem that councils are battling locally, and cases are increasing year-on-year. It harms our communities and our wildlife, and so we will continue to take strong action against those responsible and pursue offenders through the courts where necessary.Cases such as this are an example of how seriously we take fly tipping offences. We would encourage anyone with information about fly-tipping to come forward and help us protect our local environment.”
Householders have a duty of care to ensure that their waste is passed to authorised carriers and may be prosecuted if they fail to take reasonable measures, and their waste is later fly‑tipped.
Residents can otherwise dispose of their waste through kerbside bin collections, household waste recycling centres, neighbourhood recycling banks or the Council’s bulky waste collection service.
South Derbyshire District Council charges £42.91 to collect up to six domestic items (not including fridges/freezers). Fridges/freezers are charged at £37.91 each item. Residents can book a Bulky Waste collection here: Bulky waste collection | South Derbyshire District Council. They can also report fly-tipping through the Council’s website: Fly-tipping | South Derbyshire District Council.
9 June 2026