A man from Desborough in High Wycombe, who admitted to illegally dumping a mattress on a residential street, has been fined after being caught in the act on CCTV.

The man was spotted on private camera footage leaving his property and carrying the mattress down the road with another man. The same mattress was later found dumped nearby, on the corner of Green Street and Upper Green Street, High Wycombe.

Buckinghamshire Council officers investigated and interviewed the culprit who claimed he ‘did not know’ he wasn’t allowed to leave the mattress there.

The man chose to pay a fixed penalty of £300 for admitting the offence and to avoid court prosecution. Buckinghamshire Council has since increased its fixed penalty rate for fly-tipping to £1,000, in line with Government changes which were introduced in 2023, as part of a crackdown on the illegal dumping of waste.

Buckinghamshire Council investigates the on-street fly-tipping of waste wherever evidence allows. If a fixed penalty is issued and the offender chooses not to pay it, cases can progress to court where the offender risks a much higher fine, court costs and a criminal record.

Gareth Williams, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment said: “Buckinghamshire Council has a zero tolerance to dumping offences of any kind. There is no excuse for fly-tipping. There are excellent recycling facilities for residents seeking to dispose of bulky items, either by taking them to one of our Household Recycling Centres or arranging for a bulky waste collection via our website.”

Gareth continued: “We are grateful to the resident who provided us with the CCTV footage and gave us permission to use it to help bring this culprit to account. Sadly, the dumping of items like this is an ongoing problem in many of our residential areas. Not only does it create a real eyesore, it also has a cost to the council and ultimately taxpayers, in terms of the financial burden of having to fund the clear up and disposal. This incident happened before our rates increased but anyone issued with a Fixed Penalty for a similar offence now will be looking at paying more than three times the amount so I hope that will be a stark warning. We have eyes and ears everywhere – don’t chance it – dispose of your waste lawfully and ethically.”

If you have evidence showing an offence taking place and you are willing to provide a witness statement, please contact the council’s Enforcement Team at: SCRAPflytipping@buckinghamshire.gov.uk

To report fly-tipping anywhere in Buckinghamshire visit: www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/fix-my-street