MAGISTRATES at Basildon today (Friday, 12 June) considered the cases of six people linked to the Cory’s Wharf, Purfleet, fly-tipping incident late last year.
In most cases the accused admitted the charges, but one pleaded not guilty and their trial will follow at a later date. One other did not come to court.
Thurrock Council, which paid £97,250 to clear up the mess, had brought the prosecutions of people who had their domestic waste removed and dumped there; one person who runs a north London chemist shop, and had their waste found among that at Cory’s Wharf; and another who had removed the chemist’s waste.
The householders were:
Abdul Mumin, 24, of Sheridan Road, East Ham, who was fined £350, told to pay £560 in prosecution costs, a £35 victim surcharge, and ordered to pay £250 compensation to the council.
Bryan Kerr, 38, of Mayall Road, Herne Hill, was fined £1,440, and ordered to pay £560 in prosecution costs, a £120 victim surcharge, and £500 compensation to the council.
Martin Dansey, 45, of 28 Cranbrook Park, Wood Green, was fined £255, ordered to pay £560 prosecution costs, £26 victim surcharge, and told to pay £500 compensation to the council.
The chemist was Rakesh Shah, 45, of Bowes Road, north London, who was fined £575, ordered to pay £560 prosecution costs, a £58 victim surcharge, and told to pay £750 compensation to the council.
And Jason Ramen, 39, of Bunyan Road, Walthamstow, faced the carrying waste charge. He was fined £200,, given £560 prosecution cost, a £20 victim surcharge, and told to pay £750 in compensation to the council.
Fatima Begum, 25, of Sherrard Road, East Ham, was not in court and will be summonsed again.
Adam Coles, 33, of Slaithwaite Road, Lewisham, pleaded not guilty and a trial date has been set for 5 August.
Cllr Terry Brookes, Thurrock Council’s portfolio holder for public protection – and a ward member for West Thurrock and South Stifford including Cory’s Wharf – said: “This sends out a clear message to everyone who thinks they’ve found a short cut to getting rid of their rubbish. Don’t do it.
“Councils like Thurrock are becoming increasingly pressured over finances and having to spend £100,000 to clear up other people’s mess is £100,000 which could be much better targeted.
“Anybody who has rubbish to dispose of also has a duty to make sure it is disposed of properly. We will not tolerate fly-tipping and I want to pay tribute to our officers who trawled through the rubbish seeking evidence, following the evidence up and then taking these prosecutions forward.”
He added: “When we find evidence in fly-tipping we will follow it through and those we prosecute will find themselves with a record. As the price of recycled materials falls and that of properly disposing of waste rises, we see more and more of this sort of thing.
“It is up to local people to let us know what’s happening – we can’t be everywhere – and it is up to us to clear it up and to prosecute those responsible. Today’s cases show we can do that.”
And Cllr John Kent, Leader of the Council, said: “Thurrock’s reputation was dragged through the mud across the nation in November and December. Now perhaps people will realise it was not local people doing this and the council has acted, both clearing the mess and prosecuting some of those responsible.”
