A FLY-TIPPER who got rid of refuse in a Hampshire village has been convicted and fined.

Winchester City Council succeeded in catching the man dumping rubbish in Owslebury after its concealed CCTV cameras caught him in the act.

Gary Raymond Lamont, 52, of Wagtail Road in Waterlooville, pleaded guilty to the offence at Basingstoke Magistrates Court on Tuesday, September 17 after he was captured on a hidden camera on Mare Lane in July 2023.

READ MORE: Five photos show huge fly tip in rural Winchester area

Owslebury, where Gary Lamont was caught fly-tipping (Image: Savills)

The court heard that, on the morning of Tuesday 18 July 2023, a surveillance camera installed as part of a joint operation by Winchester City Council and Swanmore Parish Council captured images of the offence taking place in Mare Lane, Owslebury.

Mr Lamont was seen dragging a one-tonne builder’s bag out of the rear of a small Mercedes van and then returning to the van with an empty bag. A pile of green waste was subsequently discovered dumped in the undergrowth.

Magistrates sentenced Mr Lamont to a fine of £866 and ordered him to pay full prosecution costs of £1,247.27, a compensation order for clearance costs of £90 and a victim surcharge of £346, making a total to pay of £2,549.27.

Winchester City Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance Cllr Neil Cutler said: “Winchester City Council has a zero-tolerance approach to fly-tipping across our district as this criminal behaviour causes huge damage to our local communities, wildlife and the environment. This is another case where footage from one of our hidden surveillance cameras has been instrumental in securing a conviction.

“We also rely on reports from the public to prosecute – I’d encourage anyone who witnesses or captures footage of someone dumping waste illegally in our district to report it.”

Reports of fly-tipping can be made on the council’s website at winchester.gov.uk/report, via the Your Winchester app or by calling 0300 300 0013.