A man caught fly-tipping on a lane near Romsey, by a hidden Test Valley Borough Council camera, has been ordered to pay nearly £2,000. 

On September 29 last year, a covert camera captured footage of a man removing garden waste from his vehicle and dumping it in a layby. 

The camera had been placed in that location as the area has become a hot spot for fly-tipping. 

The registration plate of the vehicle was clearly visible and led officers to Douglas Brent, of Percy Road, Shirley, Southampton.

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Brent, 60, attended an interview under caution and admitted depositing the rubbish in the layby, stating that he had intended to take it to the tip, but the smell was so bad that he had dumped it on his way to work. 

Appearing at Southampton Magistrates' Court on Friday May 5, Brent was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £400 and costs of £576.60. 

Portfolio holder for recycling and environmental services, Cllr David Drew, said: “I’m delighted to see such a large fine given in response to this incident, and I hope this approach by the courts will continue to serve as a deterrent. There are household waste recycling centres within the borough of Test Valley and most residents know how to use them. Displacing of rubbish responsibly saves us having to clear up the mess. Residents outside the borough have clearly not yet learnt this.”

The borough council has prosecuted a number of offenders in recent years as the problem of tipping has worsened.

Council critics say one of the factors is the need to pre-book attendance at the county council-run recycling centres, introduced during the Covid lockdown.