A gardener from Brighton has been fined £500 for flytipping in Hove by magistrates.
Charlie Brazil, 36, of Ridgeview, Coldean, cut back a leylandii in Hangleton Manor Close in July but left loads of foliage and tree trimmings at the property.
Brazil told the homeowner, Lynn Morley, that he would be back the week after to take away the rubbish but he failed to return.
Brighton and Hove City Council’s CityClean service tried to contact Brazil on the number given to Mrs Morley but without success.
The council’s flytipping investigator visited an address given by Brazil. The investigator was told by his son Joe that he no longer lived there but that he would arrange for the waste to be collected.
It wasn’t collected and a week later and a flytipping notice was issued.
After several similar false promises that the waste would be removed, the council stepped in, took away the waste and started court proceedings to recover costs.
The council said: “This flytip was a considerable nuisance to the homeowner and residents in the street, many of whom are elderly.”
Councillor Pete West, who chairs the council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee, said: “The council takes flytipping extremely seriously and where we are able to identify the person responsible, we will take them to court if they fail to take the waste away.
“We urge residents having this kind of work done to check that trades people are reputable to ensure they receive a reliable service, including waste being disposed of responsibly.”
Eastbourne magistrates awarded full costs to the council.
