HOUSEHOLDERS and businesses are being urged to make sure they know where their waste is going – because they could be liable if that waste is fly-tipped.

Uttlesford District Council has issued two fines in recent weeks after tracing fly-tipped waste back to where it came from.

Two piles of rubbish were found in separate lay-bys on Hall Road, Henham, in February. Council enforcement officers investigated and traced the waste back to an individual at a business address in Elsenham.

However, on interviewing him it transpired that in fact he used to work for a company which no longer occupied the premises. It had since been re-let to another business, called London Charcoal Ltd.

When London Charcoal Ltd took over the premises, the company employed builders to do some remedial work and dispose of waste that had been left in the building. It was this waste, from the former occupants, which was fly-tipped.

Although an employee of London Charcoal Ltd declined a request to be interviewed, he said he was disappointed that the builders had apparently fly-tipped the rubbish. He would not name the builders and was issued with a fine of �149.40, covering investigation and clear-up costs, which was paid last Thursday (July 21).

In Little Hallingbury, two incidents of fly-tipping were found to be linked after the details of the same person were found in both locations. One was in Latchmore Bank and the other in New Barn Lane.

The individual, who lives outside the district near Harlow, was interviewed by enforcement officers and said while clearing out his home in preparation for a house move he had paid someone to dispose of some of the waste. He said he did not know the person and had no contact details for them. He paid a fine of �109.36 earlier this month.

In both cases, the individuals concerned were issued formal warnings by the council. If they had not paid the fines they risked prosecution.

Cabinet member for environmental services, Cllr Susan Barker, said: “A resident or business’s responsibility towards their waste does not necessarily end when it leaves their property. Both these cases demonstrate how important it is to know what is going to happen to your rubbish.

“Companies who offer to dispose of waste need to be registered waste carriers. If you are in any doubt you can find details of all registered waste carriers on the Environment Agency website at environment-agency.gov.uk.”