Castle Bromwich fly-tipper fined £2,690 for dumping tree cuttings

A man from Handsworth has been fined £2,960 for illegally dumping waste near a Birmingham tip.

David Biddulph, aged 34, was spotted by witnesses using a service road just 400 metres away from Tameside Drive Household Recycling Centre.

One driver caught him fly-tipping on his dashcam on June 3 2020 on the road to the rear of the Dura Automotive factory in Castle Bromwich.  A second vehicle was also spotted and investigations are continuing into that one.

Mr Biddulph was prosecuted at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court following an investigation by Birmingham City Council’s Waste Enforcement Team.

What did the witnesses see and how was Mr Biddulph tracked down?

Two vehicles were spotted on a service road near the rear of the Dura Automotive factory in Castle Bromwich on two separate occasions and the drivers of the vehicles were seen to jointly remove tree cuttings and foliage and dump them on the street before leaving.

Enquiries into the vehicles resulted in Biddulph being identified as the hirer of one of them. He was served with notices requesting information about who was in charge and the driver of this vehicle on the date in question.

However, he only responded by confirming that he was “in charge” of the vehicle and he did not confirm who was driving it at the time.

Biddulph was also sent a notice requesting information about the second vehicle, which he stated he had seen and followed after it had dumped the waste. However, he failed to provide any further information in respect of that either.

What happened at court?

Despite pleading not guilty to offences under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 at his trial on February 21 of this year, Magistrates fined Biddulph £2,000 and he was ordered to pay a further £500 in costs along with a victim surcharge of £190.

What should I do if I witness any fly-tipping?

Anyone with any information on any fly-tipping in Birmingham can share details with the council at: Birmingham City Council fly-tipping

What has the council said about the prosecution of David Biddulph?

Cllr John O’Shea, Cabinet Member for Street Scene and Parks at Birmingham City Council, said: “It is ironic that this offending took place so close to one of our Household Recycling Centres, even though non-residents are not allowed to use them.

“Fly-tippers, regardless of where they are from, are simply not welcome in this city. I’d like to thank the witnesses and the business that shared evidence to enable this prosecution – it shows that where we can, we do prosecute as we want to ensure cleaner, greener, streets for all.”

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