TWO Dudley men had costly trips to court after they transported waste without the correct paperwork.

Dudley Council led two separate prosecutions at Dudley Magistrates Court as part of the ongoing fight to tackle fly-tipping across the borough. Lee Evans, of Springfield Grove, Sedgley, was spotted collecting scrap metal by PCSO officers in July last year.

The council checked with the Environment Agency and found he didn’t have a licence to carry the waste.

The 35-year-old pleaded guilty at court and was fined £175, ordered to pay £150 towards costs and £20 victim surcharge.

In a separate case David Hart, of Wellington Road, Dudley, admitted failing to have a licence to carry waste and two offences of dumping rubbish.

Waste found in Stafford Street, Dudley, and on the car park of Saltwells Nature Reserve, Netherton, was traced back to two people who had paid Hart to dispose of it properly.

The 52-year-old admitted dumping the waste and also pleaded guilty to not being a registered waste carrier, when he appeared before magistrates.

He was fined £150 for the two fly-tipping charges. £35 for failing to have a licence to carry waste, £395 prosecution costs, £150 compensation and a victim support charge of £20.

John Millar, acting director for economy, environment and housing, said: “We work hard to keep this borough clean and tidy and will do everything we can to catch and prosecute people who dump rubbish illegally.

“This prosecution is also a reminder to people being paid to remove people’s waste, that they need to have the correct licence to carry waste.”

Residents can report fly-tipping to the council in a number of ways including the community council smartphone app, via the ‘report it’ section on www.dudley.gov.uk or calling 0300 5552345.