Selfish Ignorant Fly Tipper

Fly Tipper in Dark Blue Vauxhall Astra M561 PFR

Opening His Boot

Getting His Rubbish Out

Dumping it in Our Yard

OK, So I'll Dump it in Booth's Wheelie Bin Instead

Illegally Driving Off With a Child Unbelted in the Back Seat

On Saturday 21st July 2001, we heard two male voices near our back yard. When we looked out of our window, the car pictured was parked partially across our yard and parking area, and suspected that the driver may have been about to fly tip rubbish in our yard (everybody else does!). I walked round and found we had guessed correctly, and also managed to get the photographs shown here.

Throwing His Rubbish In Our Yard
Our photo's show the tipper with his rear passenger door open, we do not know whether he had already tipped anything in our yard or not, but I watched him open his boot, get a small pile of cardboard from it and deposit it in our yard, all as shown in the photo's. After this, I approached him and politely but firmly asked him to remove his rubbish.

Dumping It At Booth's Instead
Without hesitating or even turning round, he replied in the affirmative, and went straight along the road and deposited it in one of Booth's wheelie bins. He obviously knew where their bins were, and it's my guess that he has used them before. Although it's probably better to put it into a bin rather than just throw it into the street, the tipper clearly doesn't care who he inconveniences. I pointed out that Booth's would have to pay to have their rubbish removed, and that if he put it with his own domestic rubbish at home, the council refuse department would remove it free of charge.

Getting Aggressive
At this point he started getting shirty, and asked what it had to do with me if he dumped at Booth's, and I judged it risky to take a facial photo. At this time his friend arrived, presumably the owner of the other voice we had heard, a young local man named either Philip or Sean Goggins. These two are twins, living in Harrowside around the corner from us. They are difficult to tell apart, and are well known to the local police, as is their younger brother James. For many years, their house has attracted many criminal friends, drug addicts, and young vandals. One of the twins came out of jail recently for having stabbed a car driver who he had tried to rob of her handbag at traffic lights, we believe. If we have got any of these facts wrong, we would welcome a correction. At this point there was a brief discussion between the two men, who then got in the car and drove away.

Illegally Selfishly and Dangerously Carrying a Unbelted Young Passenger
The young boy in our photo's, who may be the son of the tipper, also got into the car, and failed to fasten his seat belt, giving me the impression that he never used his seat belt. I pointed out to the tipper that the child was not belted into his seat belt, and that I believed it irresponsible and illegal to carry a passenger, particularly a child, without their seat belt being fastened. The tipper told me that I had a problem, and started to drive away. Before he did so, he asked me how fast I could run, and got out of the car. I took this to be an implied threat of violence, and retired to a safe distance.

Once a Prat Always a Prat
You may think that we are making a lot out of a small matter, and we would agree except for a number of factors:-

• Most fly tippers don't get caught.
• Fly tipping creates eyesores and health hazards.
• Fly tipping costs the owners of the property time and effort to clear away.
• Attitude is important, the sort of people who fly-tip, almost certainly flout other people's rights at will, not to mention the law.
• They also bring up their kids with their own attitudes, thereby creating more prats.
• Driving with your child unbelted in a car is stupid and dangerous. The child deserves protection from such a thoughtless and unsuitable parent.

Mr. Lea David J. Munn
According to the DVLA at Swansea, the registered owner of the Vauxhall Astra at the time of the incident was a Mr. Lea David J. Munn, of 77 Rosebery Avenue, South Shore Blackpool, FY4 1LA. We do not yet know whether this is the same person as shown in the photographs.

The Environment Agency
We have received a copy of a letter sent to Mr Munn by The Environment Agency, asking him to inform them whether he was the person in control of the vehicle at the time, or else to disclose the identity of that person. Our guess is that the person shown in the photographs is the same Mr. Munn. Apparently the offence carries a maximum penalty of 6 months imprisonment or a fine of £20,000 or both on summary conviction, i..e. in a magistrates court, and two years plus a fine (unlimited?) on indictment.

Unique Dreams Beds & Fly Tipping Blackpool
At 11.23 a.m. on Saturday 11th December 2010, a red van signed Unique Dreams fly tipped a secondhand mattress on our back yard. We reported it to Enviromental Health.