Restaurant owner fined after his waste was fly tipped

A restaurant owner from Bury St Edmunds has been fined after admitting breaching a duty of care which led to his waste being fly tipped.

Nurul Alam, who owns the Spice Garden, in Risbygate Street, admitted a charge of breaching his duty of care when he appeared before Ipswich Magistrates yesterday, Tuesday, December 10.

The court heard that rubbish had been dumped at Rushbrooke Road, in Bury St Edmunds, on or around May 31 this year. It included black sacks, pieces of carpet, cardboard, rubble, an oil fryer, a single mattress and pieces of wood.

When interviewed under caution by West Suffolk Council, Mr Alam said two men, eating at his restaurant, had offered to take the waste to the recycling centre for him for £60.

Mr Alam could provide no details of the men, no contact details, no details of the van that they used and did not have a receipt. He said he was new to the area and did not know where to dispose of the waste. However, days before he had entered into a commercial waste agreement with West Suffolk Council and could have taken the opportunity to ask for advice about the disposal of the rubbish.

The court heard in mitigation that Alam had since paid West Suffolk Council the £225 cost for removing the rubbish.

Magistrates ordered that he pay a fine of £359, costs of £450 and a victim surcharge of £35.

Speaking after the hearing Mark Walsh, assistant director for Operations at the council said: “Whether you are a resident or a business, it is an offence to pay someone who is not a licensed waste handler to dispose of your rubbish. Where we find evidence we will prosecute those responsible for fly tipping including those who haven’t taken precautionary steps to ensure the people they pay to dispose of waste on their behalf, are properly licensed to do so.”