Man fined for dumping furniture on country lane

Christopher Brennan, of Swarcliffe, must pay a £692 penalty for fly-tipping items he had been hired to dispose of after the rubbish was found in Shadwell.

He was convicted at Leeds Magistrates Court following an investigation by the council's environmental enforcement team.

Brennan advertised himself as a 'man with a van' on Facebook and offered services such as house clearances, removals, skip runs, collections of large items, painting and decorating and gardening - but did not hold a waste carrier's licence.

He was also ordered to pay a £69 victim surcharge and £975 in costs after pleading guilty to illegally depositing waste for profit, and to carrying waste illegally.

The dumped items included bin bags, plastic tubs, a pushchair, playpen and a sofa. They were traced back to their original owners, who were able to provide proof that they had paid Brennan to collect and dispose of them.

Brennan claimed in court that he had been turned away from a council waste disposal site for not having a resident's permit.

The council-run household waste site at Seacroft accepts commercial waste as long as it is declared, weighed and the disposal has been paid for.