A FLY-TIPPER from Andover has been banned from driving and will have his van destroyed after being prosecuted by Wiltshire Council.

Nicholas Farmer, of Camelot Close, appeared at Sailsbury Magistrates' Court on Thursday, October 6, where he pleaded guilty to multiple environmental offences.

The offences included two counts of fly-tipping waste; two counts of failing in his duty of care when managing controlled waste; failing to produce waste transfer notes for his waste collection business; and transporting controlled waste without a waste carrier licence.

READ MORE: Prison sentence and fine for fly-tipper who dumped industrial waste

The council presented evidence to the court that Farmer advertised on a local Facebook community group offering a rubbish collection service, despite having no waste carrier license.

A Marlborough householder paid £60 for Farmer to collect the waste, and it was then dumped in separate locations in an area of outstanding natural beauty on the outskirts of Marlborough, at Wootton Rivers Road and Ram Alley Lane.

Magistrates imposed an 80-hour community order on Farmer, which could include litter picking and clearing waste, and he was disqualified from driving for three months.

Farmer was also ordered to pay £750 in costs to Wiltshire Council.

The court also approved the forfeiture of the Ford Transit van Farmer used to fly-tip the waste. The van will be destroyed and recycled in the future.

Meanwhile, the homeowner whose waste was found fly-tipped was issued with a £400 fixed penalty notice (reduced to £200 if paid within 10 days) for giving their waste to Farmer and not checking that he had the appropriate licence to carry and dispose of the waste appropriately.

The council worked in partnership with both Wiltshire Police and Test Valley Borough Council in this investigation and thanked both of them for their cooperation.

SEE ALSO: 'Unscrupulous cowboy' forced to pay more than £600 for flytipping in countryside

Cabinet member for transport and waste Cllr Dr Mark McClelland said: “This prosecution highlights the growing problem of rogue unlicensed waste collectors advertising on local Facebook community groups and then fly-tipping the waste to avoid lawful disposal charges.

“I would urge the administrators of social media community groups to ensure anyone advertising waste clearance or scrap metal collection is correctly licensed and ensure any adverts fully display a valid upper tier waste carrier license number.”