Woman fined over £2000 for fly-tipping
The pile of waste was left in Torrs Park, Ilfracombe, Devon
A woman from Cambridgeshire has been fined for fly-tipping in Ilfracombe, Devon.
Roxanne Pitteway, of Brampton near Huntingdon, appeared before Barnstaple Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 3 June 2025. She pleaded guilty to two offences under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 for failing in her duty of care over waste disposal.
The case followed a report of illegally dumped spray foam loft insulation discovered between 15 and 16 August 2024 at Torrs Park, Ilfracombe. The waste was found obstructing a public footpath and car park area.
North Devon Council officers launched an investigation and traced the material to work carried out at a local property by Insulation Experts Ltd, a company where Ms Pitteway held a directorial role.
The homeowner had paid £6,000 for the insulation work after being cold-called by the firm. Following the incident, the council cleared the site and pursued enforcement action.
The court ordered Ms Pitteway to pay a total of £2,200, including £500 in fines, a £200 victim surcharge, and £1,500 in prosecution costs.
Further proceedings are underway against another individual believed to be involved in the case.
Councillor Julie Hunt, Lead Member for Waste and Recycling at North Devon Council, commended the council officers for their diligence in investigating the case.
“Fly-tipping is quite simply unacceptable, and it is a matter we take very seriously,” she said. “We all have a role to play in keeping North Devon clean, and we rely on the public to report and provide evidence of environmental offences.”
She urged residents to always check that waste collectors are properly licensed and to retain their contact and vehicle details.
Under current laws, fly-tipping offences can result in fines of up to £50,000 in magistrates’ courts, or unlimited fines and up to five years' imprisonment in higher courts. Vehicles involved in such crimes may also be seized and destroyed.