Beware of cowboy waste collectors as two Sunderland householders fined

Residents are being warned not to be fooled into using cowboy waste collectors.

Both Sunderland householders said they had paid to have the waste taken away which was later found fly-tipped.

In the first case, a quantity of wood, plasterboard, drainpipes and other waste was found dumped on the grass verge in front of the rugby pitch on Ryhope Road.

When this was traced back to an address in Archer Square, Farringdon, the householder admitted paying a scrap metal dealer £30 to take away the waste which he had been storing in his garden.

He also admitted he hadn't bothered to check where the waste was going to or if the scrap dealer was authorised to carry waste or held a waste carrier's licence.

This resulted in him having to pay the £193 cost of getting the waste removed and disposed of properly. He was also given a formal warning.

When questioned, the householder admitted she had paid a scrap dealer £30 to take away a load of waste left over from redecorating her home and was appalled to find that the waste had been dumped. She too was given a formal warning.

Councillor Amy Wilson, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Transport, said: "These cowboy waste collectors have absolutely no scruples when it comes to fly tipping waste they have been paid to take away. So if you are arranging a private collection you need to be really careful to check where the waste is going and whether they have a waste carrier's licence.

"As a householder we all have a legal ‘Duty of Care’ to make sure our waste is disposed of lawfully. Failing to do so is an offence so if you do use one of these cowboys you could be the one who is left picking up the cost. The irony is that in both these cases the residents could have saved themselves a lot of money by arranging collections through the council's bulky waste service."

At the beginning of the year, the Sunderland Echo launches its ‘Clean Streets’ campaign.Clean Streets has been backed by members of the public and in March, Sunderland City Council agreed to increase the fines handed to people committing environmental offences.

As part of this, the penalty for dropping litter went up to £150.

To arrange a bulky collection click here.