London man caught fly-tipping in layby near Trowbridge fined over £1k
Chunlin Zheng was caught dumping waste on a body worn police camera
A man from London has been fined more than £1,000 after being caught fly tipping in a layby near Trowbridge.
On 22nd January 2025, Chunlin Zheng, of Philip Lane, was spotted dumping wooden waste on the A361 by a member of the public, who contacted Wiltshire Police.
An officer than attended the scene, capturing the offence on their bodycam.
Mr Zheng told the officer he had been paid £150 to dump the waste, but he later revealed in an interview with Wiltshire Council's Environmental Enforcement team, he admitted the figure was actually £350.
He told Police he was short of cash, and unable to take the rubbish to the household recycling centre because he was using a commercial vehicle and would have incurred a charge. The officers told him to clear the waste, warning he would be arrested if he didn't.
During the Council-led interview, he revealed he was working as a self-employed removal person but that he did not hold a waste carrier's licence, failing to provide waste transfer notes for his business.
A £1,000 fixed penalty notice was issued to Mr Zheng on 10 March, but to this date it remains unpaid.
After appearing in court, Mr Zheng was fined £1,114 (including costs and a victim surcharge), and given a 12-month Community Order, requiring him to complete 200 hours of unpaid community work, which might include clearing litter in Wiltshire.
Cllr Martin Smith, Cabinet Member for Highways, Streetscene and Flooding, said: "Mr Zheng was caught in the act of fly-tipping by a nearby member of the public, who not only quickly reported it but also stayed on scene until the police arrived. I want to thank this person for acting in the way that they did. Also thanks to both Wiltshire Police for their initial work to apprehend the offenders, and Metropolitan Police with the investigation. The officer's bodycam footage provided key evidence for the case.
"Fly-tipping is a serious environmental crime that blights our communities, and we continue to take it very seriously.
"As someone who is running a waste removal business, Mr Zheng has a legal obligation to ensure that any waste is disposed of safely, legally and responsibly - and this includes having the correct documentation. Choosing to fly-tip as the cheaper option, has resulted in a heftier fine payment and a criminal record. I hope that he has learned his lesson.
"We will continue to pursue offenders who ignore the law and encourage residents to report fly-tipping to us through the MyWilts app to help us protect Wiltshire's beautiful landscapes."
T/Chief Inspector Andy Lemon, from the Rural Crime Team said: "Fly-tipping has a detrimental effect on the environment and it's something we need to crack down on in Wiltshire. It's not only destroying our beautiful countryside but also costing our already stretched local authorities millions of pounds.
"If you've witnessed fly-tipping please photograph the discarded items if possible and find the right antisocial behaviour reporting service using our online tool."