Wiltshire Council has successfully prosecuted a Wiltshire resident who was spotted fly-tipping in a Marlborough bus stop.

Chelsea Reason, of Sheep Street, Devizes appeared at Swindon Magistrates Court on Friday 25 July and pleaded guilty to fly-tipping controlled waste inside a bus shelter at Fyfield near Marlborough.She was fined a total of £1,202.95, which was reduced to £1,000 due to the early guilty plea.

On 20 November 2024, Miss Reason was witnessed by a nearby resident parking her vehicle near to the junction of Priestly Cottages and the A4. She was seen removing two bags of rubbish from her boot, taking them into the bus stop, before emerging empty handed and driving away.

The witness alerted a passing council worker, who referred the fly-tip to the council’s Environmental Enforcement team, which launched an investigation. The dumped bags found to contain domestic waste, PPE equipment and nitrous oxide canisters.

Miss Reason was interviewed under caution and issued with a £1,000 fixed penalty notice. The fine remains unpaid to this date, so the council pursued the prosecution.

As part of the council’s We’re Targeting Fly-tippers (WTF) campaign, which offers a reward to people who give the council information that leads to an environmental crime FPN or prosecution, the resident that assisted in the investigation will be rewarded with high street vouchers.

Cllr Martin Smith, Cabinet Member for Highways, Streetscene and Flooding said: “There is really no excuse for fly-tipping, and that is why we are committed to holding any offenders accountable.

 “Anyone caught fly-tipping can be issued with a £1,000 fixed penalty notice or be taken to court, where they could face an unlimited fine or imprisonment. Miss Reason could have avoided the court action by paying her fixed penalty notice but failed to do so – leaving us no choice but to take legal action.”

 “I’d like to thank the resident who assisted us and helped us bring this case to court. I encourage anyone who spots a fly-tip in the county, or someone disposing of their waste illegally, to report it to us using MyWilts. In doing so, they could receive a reward of up to £200 in gift vouchers if the information they provide leads to a successful prosecution, or a fixed penalty notice being paid.”

 To find out more about how the council is tackling fly-tipping in Wiltshire and how to report fly-tipping, people should visit: www.wiltshire.gov.uk/fly-tipping.