Swindon man sentenced for illegally dumping construction waste in the Wiltshire countryside
36 year old Ashley Witts admitted fly tipping at Swindon Magistrates Court
Last updated 11th Jun 2026
A man from Swindon has been fined over one thousand pounds after pleading guilty to fly-tipping in the Wiltshire countryside.
Ashley Witts of Galsworthy Close who worked as a waste operator in the Swindon area admitted dumping building waste on land off the A419 at Latton, near Cricklade, at Swindon Magistrates Court on Friday 29 May.
Witts also pleaded guilty to failing to produce waste transfer documentation.
He was given a Community Order, requiring him to complete 210 hours of unpaid work, reduced to 140 hours due to his early guilty plea, and to pay £1,114 in fines, costs and a victim surcharge.
The prosecution follows an investigation by Wiltshire Council’s Environmental Enforcement Team who when they attended the site off the A419 on 23rd March 2025.
They found a significant quantity of construction waste, including roofing materials such as felt, chipboard and tiles.
The waste was traced back to a Swindon-based roofing business, who assisted the officers to trace the waste carrier, Mr Witts, who traded as ARW Property Services.
Wiltshire Council say no further action was taken against the roofing business due to their co-operation.
The authority say vehicle tracking data showed that instead of disposing of the waste lawfully, Mr Witts transported it into Wiltshire and dumped it illegally.
He was also found to be operating without a valid waste carrier’s licence.
This charge was not included in the court proceedings.
Despite several requests, Mr Witts failed to attend an interview with the council until several months later, where the authority say he gave no comment responses.
He also failed to provide legally required waste transfer notes and did not pay two fixed penalty notices.
Cllr Martin Smith, Cabinet Member for Highways, Streetscene and Flooding, said: “This case sends a very clear message – we will take action against anyone committing environmental crime within our county.
“Mr Witts was trusted to dispose of waste responsibly but instead chose to dump it illegally, harming our environment and local communities. On top of that, he failed to operate legally as a waste carrier and ignored multiple opportunities to cooperate with our investigation.
“Fly-tipping is a serious offence. If you are paid to handle and dispose of waste, you have a legal duty to do so properly. If you don’t, you can face prosecution, significant financial penalties and other sanctions, as this case clearly demonstrates. We will continue to investigate and take action wherever necessary.”