A BARNTON man has been fined almost £2,000 for fly-tipping in Whitegate, after an investigation by Cheshire West and Chester Council officers.

Matthew Gaunt, 22, of Astbury Drive, was found guilty of illegally dumping household waste in Mill Lane after a trial was held in his absence, and fined £1,801.

Gaunt had emailed Chester Magistrates Court asking to change his plea to guilty without attending, but the request was denied by the district judge ‘due to its ambiguity’.

At the trial, the court heard that a regulatory office was on patrol on August 4, 2016 when they discovered a pile of household waste dumped in the gateway to a field in Mill Lane.

An investigation led officers to Gaunt, who initially denied the charges. After being found guilty by the district judge, he was fined £990, as well as £712 in prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £99, all to be paid within 28 days.

CWaC cabinet member for environment, Cllr Karen Shore, said: “This is another good example of our ongoing success against fly-tippers.

“Anyone tempted to fly-tip their waste should be aware that it attracts stiff penalties and a custodial sentence is possible, even for first time offenders.”