A cheap rubbish disposal turned into a costly mistake for a Canterbury village resident who was fined after an illegal fly-tip was traced to a Herne Bay Lane. Canterbury City Council reported that a resident from Petham was ordered to pay £368 after household waste removed from her property was found illegally dumped in Herne Bay.
The case began in November 2023, when Canterbury City Council officers discovered a fly-tipped assortment of items in Eddington Lane, including a double mattress, a drawer unit, clothing, and various bags. Evidence found within the rubbish led investigators directly to a property in Chequers Orchard.
During an interview with environmental crime officers, the resident admitted to paying an unidentified individual £50 to remove the waste. Under her legal duty of care, she was required to verify that the individual held a valid waste carrier’s licence and obtain a formal waste transfer note, but she failed to do either. Furthermore, she was unable to provide any identifying details regarding the person she hired to transport the material.
Although the council initially issued a £300 fixed penalty notice, the fine remained unpaid despite an extension being granted. This non-payment led to a court summons which the resident failed to attend, resulting in a warrant for her arrest. Following her apprehension in March 2026, the defendant appeared at Margate Magistrates’ Court on April 1 where she pleaded guilty to failing in her legal duty of care regarding waste disposal. The court imposed a total financial penalty of £368, consisting of a £120 fine, £200 in costs, and a £48 victim surcharge.
Cabinet member for enforcement, Cllr Connie Nolan, stated:
“There are plenty of unscrupulous people out there who will take your rubbish away for what appears to be a bargain price, but if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
“The law is clear that when people are having rubbish removed from their property, they are equally as responsible for what happens to it as the person who is taking it away.
“You must make sure you are using a licensed waste carrier and have the paperwork to show what the rubbish was and who took it. The Environment Agency website has a register of licensed carriers to choose from.
“In this case, while the total fines levied at court are not much more than the value of the original fixed penalty notice, Keirle now has a criminal record and a no-show at court on her file.
“This could all have been avoided if she had paid up when originally fined – or even better, used a licensed waste carrier in the first place.”
Canterbury City Council Legal Note: Homeowners are legally responsible for ensuring that anyone they hire to remove waste is a registered carrier. Failure to verify these credentials can result in a criminal record and significant fines if that waste is later fly-tipped by the third party.