Fly-tippers captured by West Midlands villagers ordered to pay £2k in fines 

The fly-tippers were sentenced at Leamington Spa Magistrates Court following a joint investigation between Warwickshire Police and Solihull Council’s Regulatory Services Team.

Ionut Bancunlea, 33, of Smethwick, pleaded guilty to four charges of depositing waste without a permit.

He was given a community order with a 12-month 150-hour unpaid work requirement and 10 days of rehabilitation activities.

He is also required to pay compensation amounting to £1,565.84 as well as a victims’ surcharge of £114 and £85 costs to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Adrian Bivolaru, 34, of Smethwick, pleaded guilty to two charges of depositing waste without a permit.

He was given a community order with a 12-month 80-hour unpaid work requirement and 10 days of rehabilitation activities.

Bivolaru is required to pay £200 worth of compensation, as well as £114 victims’ surcharge and £85 costs to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Captured by villagers

At the beginning of February 2024, the men were caught red-handed dumping large piles of rubbish on Packington Estate’s Maxstoke Lane near Meriden. Locals used their cars to barricade the vans and called the police.   

The incident was described by Warwickshire Police officers as “some of the worst fly-tipping they had seen in a long time”.  

The men were detained and ordered to reload their vehicles with rubbish. Their vehicles were then seized under the Environmental Act.  

A social media post from the Operational Patrol Unit showed pictures from the cleanup and led to other fly-tipping offences being reported and linked to Bancunlea and Bivolaru.  

Ruining beautiful countryside  

Sgt Simms of the Rural Crime Team said: “Dropping waste at the side of the road ruins our beautiful countryside and wastes precious resources from our local councils that could be better invested elsewhere to clean it up.  

“It also stops businesses like farms from being able to operate while the owners deal with the mess, often leaving them out of pocket as well.  

“We are very happy that the OPU were quick to assist landowners and able to catch them in the act on this occasion, and we share in the satisfaction that Banunclea and Bivolaru were made to clean up at least one of their messes.   

“I’m extremely pleased that the Rural Crime Team (who progressed the investigation with assistance from Solihull Council and concerned members of public) have seen these offenders being suitably punished.”  

£1 million boost 

On Saturday 18th May, recycling minister Robbie Moore announced that 26 local authorities across England will receive a share of an almost £1 million boost to step up their battle against fly tipping and better protect local communities.

The grants will support various schemes to take the fight to waste criminals, such as an increase in CCTV cameras in hotspot areas, AI-assisted camera technology, and campaigns to raise households’ awareness of their duty to only use licensed waste companies when getting rid of rubbish.

Recycling minister, Robbie Moore said: “Fly-tipping is a brazen attack on communities, nature and our environment. It can create danger for wildlife as well as people, and I am determined the harm done by cynical criminals doesn’t go unpunished.

“We have increased the maximum penalty councils can issue for these offences, made sure money from those fines goes back into more enforcement and clean up, and now we are giving councils a further £1 million boost.

“Our previous funding has achieved significant reductions in fly-tipping across many parts of England – which is why we will build on our successes and ensure councils have more resources to carry on the fight.”

To help councils clamp down on waste crime, the government has laid a statutory instrument increasing the upper limits for various fixed penalty notices (FPNs) which means:   

• The maximum amount those caught fly-tipping could be fined increases from £400 to £1,000   
• The maximum amount those who litter or graffiti could be fined increases from £150 to £500   
• The maximum amount those who breach their household waste duty of care could be fined increases from £400 to £600   

Read more rural crime articles.