Fly-tippers sentenced for dumping large piles of waste

Alan Dobson and Leon Ferry posed as professional waste carriers and were hired to remove rubbish from properties.

But instead of disposing of the hauls legally, the pair brazenly fly-tipped the waste at sites in the west of the city.

In August 2019, Dobson and Ferry were paid £210 by a homeowner to collect rubbish from a property in Fenham.

Later that month, the pair were spotted unloading building rubble from their van at the entrance of the Energy Centre in Scotswood before leaving the area at speed.

Another haul consisting of timber, cardboard, broken furniture, lino and duvets was then found dumped at the same site in October.

Newcastle City Council’s environmental protection team traced the waste to the homeowner who confirmed he had paid Dobson and Ferry to remove it.

Between August and November, the duo were also paid by a builder to collect multiple loads of waste from properties in Fenham and Benwell.

On one occasion, a dog walker saw Dobson and Ferry depositing bags of rubbish, doors and paint on land off Langham Road in Scotswood.

The Council then discovered further piles of waste at the site, including three-piece suites, a boiler, concrete, tiles and carpets.

In November that year, Dobson and Ferry were arrested and their van was seized.

They both pleaded guilty to seven counts of depositing controlled waste in an unauthorised manner.

Dobson, who is serving 33 months behind bars for wounding, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court on October 4 this year via video-link from HMP Northumberland.

The 49-year-old, of Melville Street, Chester-le-Street, was given seven separate four-week prison sentences to be served concurrently, meaning he will serve a further four weeks in jail.

Ferry, who is serving six years and nine months for a variety of offences including robbery, appeared via video-link from HMP Lindholme.

The court heard the 26-year-old, of Melville Street, Chester-le-Street, played a lesser role in the fly-tipping operations.

Ferry was given seven separate two-week prison sentences to be served concurrently. He will serve a further two weeks behind bars.

After the case, Cllr Irim Ali, Newcastle City Council Cabinet member for a Dynamic City, said: “We hope this result sends a clear message that dumping waste in our communities will not be tolerated.

“In this case, the pair posed as workers from a legitimate waste collection service but they never actually had any intention of disposing of the rubbish legally.

“Their selfish actions had a detrimental impact on our neighbourhoods and the local environment, which is unacceptable.

“Anyone who is looking to get rid of waste should always be wary and make sure the person offering to take your waste has the relevant licence.”

Waste producers, including householders, have a legal duty of care to ensure that any waste collection companies they use are registered.

Residents can check to see if waste carriers are licensed by visiting environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers.

To report an incident of fly-tipping, call the Council on 0191 278 7878 and ask for environmental health or email psr@newcastle.gov.uk.