Sheerness resident fined for carrying scrap metal without waste carrier’s license

Published Wednesday 18 May, 2022
Last updated on Tuesday 18 October, 2022

A Sheerness resident has been fined £635 by Sevenoaks magistrates court last week (11 May) after pleading guilty to carrying scrap metal without a waste carrier’s license of transfer notes.

Jim Matthews of Queensway in Sheerness was stopped on 16 November 2021 during Operation Assist, a Swale Borough Council and Kent Police task force day to crackdown on flytipping.

Mr Matthews was stopped on Castle Road in Sittingbourne by the council’s environment officer and police officers for carrying scrap metal and was found to have no waste carrier license or waste transfer notes.

Mr Matthews received two Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN) which went unpaid, so the matter was referred to Sevenoaks magistrate’s court where he received a £400 fine, £205 court costs and £30 victim surcharge.

Cllr Julian Saunders, cabinet member for environment, said:

“This is a great result for our environmental team that work so hard to keep our borough clean.

“Every year we spend more than £1 million clearing away flytipping and keeping our streets free of litter.

“During our task force days with Kent Police to crackdown on flytipping, we stop anyone carrying waste to ensure they have the correct license, transfer notes and that they are disposing their waste responsibly.

“I urge anybody using a waste carrier to ask to see their license, it may seem like the cheaper option, but if any evidence is found in fly-tipped waste that links back to you, you can also receive an on the spot fine of £400.

“Anybody who doesn’t pay their FPNs will go directly to court where an unlimited fine can be given.”

To report flytipping visit www.swale.gov.uk/bins-littering-and-the-environment/littering/report-fly-tipping.