THREE Cambridge residents have been prosecuted for fly tipping their household waste in three separate prosecutions brought by Cambridge City Council at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court.

Fly tipping is the illegal disposal of waste on land that doesn’t have a licence to accept it. This includes leaving rubbish next to a litter bin. Fly tipping is a criminal offence under section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Cases prosecuted were as follows:

1. Jurakulov Javokhir of Howard Road, Cambridge, who illegally disposed of a large cardboard box by litter bins on Donkey Common in April 2022. Mr Javokhir apologised for the offence and entered a guilty plea. He was ordered to pay a fine of £100, a contribution towards legal costs of £100 and a victim surcharge of £34.
2. Shushanna Black of Abercorn Place, Cambridge, who illegally disposed of black bags of household waste by litter bins on King’s Hedges Recreation Ground in April 2022. Despite being offered a fixed penalty notice as an alternative to prosecution, Ms Black failed to pay the fine and the matter was referred to court. At court, Ms Black explained that keeping on top of her household waste became too much for her and she thought the waste would be collected from being left next to the litter bins. Ms Black entered a guilty plea and was ordered to pay a fine of £400, a contribution towards legal costs of £100 and a victim surcharge of £34.
3. Chengxi Zhu, of Catharine Street, Cambridge, illegally disposed of a large volume of household waste – the equivalent to a transit van full of waste – on Felton Street in June 2022. Dr Zhu explained the circumstances of how the waste came to be at the location and entered a guilty plea and was ordered to pay a fine of £402, investigation and legal costs of £617.50 and a victim surcharge of £161.

Cllr Rosy Moore, Executive Councillor for Climate Change, Environment and City Centre, said: “Our teams and volunteers work hard to keep our city clean and looking its best. So, it is very disheartening when some people choose to undo that hard work and fly tip their waste instead.

“Fly tipping is an environmental crime which really upsets local residents plus, it can pose a risk to pets and wildlife, whilst attracting pests and vermin. Also, a significant amount of money is spent by the council on cleaning up, which could be much better spent on delivering other services to benefit residents.

“Waste must be disposed of legally and responsibly – dumping your waste is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.”

Residents are encouraged to follow the SCRAP code:

• Suspect all waste carriers – ask for proof of registration
• Check whether the waste carrier is registered on the Environment Agency website
• Refuse any unexpected offers to have rubbish taken away
• Ask how rubbish will be disposed of and seek evidence
• Paperwork must be obtained, which includes the waste carrier’s details and a description of the waste.

To report fly tipping on our website.

Information on what goes in which bin and suggestions on reducing your waste can be found on the bins, recycling and rubbish webpage our website.

If you do find yourself struggling to manage your household waste, you can request a bulky waste collection on our website. 

The cases were heard on Tuesday 1 November 2022.