TWO men have been prosecuted in relation to a fly tipping offence involving bags containing pigeon droppings and aviary waste.

Raymond Wilkinson, 42, of Harlow Close, and Joseph David Edge, 26, of Hempstead Close, were each ordered to pay a total of £950.62 at Liverpool, Knowsley and St Helens Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to illegally disposing of over 40 bags containing commercial and aviary waste.

CCTV footage from February and March this year captured the pair on two separate occasions leaving a Vauxhall Zafira to dump bin bags - which contained a mixture of pigeon droppings, aviary and business waste - on to land next to a privately-owned house in Lea Green Road, Sutton.

The waste was later retrieved by St Helens Council’s cleansing department and a sub contractor.

It is said the pair were carrying out the work on behalf of a private business charging neighbouring businesses for the disposal of waste.

After failing to attend their first court hearing, a warrant for their arrest was issued and the pair spent the night in police custody before appearing at Sefton Magistrates where they were later bailed to appear before Liverpool, Knowsley and St Helens Magistrates.

Ordering Wilkinson and Edge to each pay a £100 fine with £850.62 costs, the District Judge said the offences were a "deliberate act" which she believed were carried out for a profit, "albeit a small one".

The judge also pointed out that their fine could have been a lot higher. However costs awarded were in respect of the seriousness of offence - which caused unnecessary financial expense to the local authority - to prevent taxpayers being hit in the pocket.

Welcoming the prosecution, St Helens Council's cabinet member for green, smart and sustainable borough, Councillor Seve Gomez-Aspron, said: "In this case the environmental warden team quite rightly brought the fly tippers to account - however fly tippers are just part of the problem.

"Businesses that have no trade waste arrangements in place and those that pass their waste to unregistered waste carriers with no questions asked are operating illegally and with unfair advantage to the many legitimate businesses in the borough.

"We will continue to pursue significant fixed penalty fines and prosecute these businesses as they provide a profit and incentive to fly tippers."

To report flytipping, call 676789 or visit sthelens.gov.uk/contact-us.