Jayden Williams accepted that he had made a “stupid decision” in leaving the sofa on land in Racecourse Road and was ordered to pay a total of £1,722 by magistrates.

The fly tipping incident happened at around 10pm on 22 August last year. Two men were captured on CCTV unloading the black sofa from the roof of a BMW and driving off.

Footage was supplied to the council by a local business and officers investigated, tracing Williams as the registered keeper of the vehicle. A fixed penalty notice (FPN) of £1,000 was issued to him.

Williams contacted the council to acknowledge the FPN but said he was unable to pay in full immediately. Council officers granted an extension, but the fine was still not paid and Williams did not reply to further correspondence from the council.

At Dudley Magistrates Court on 17 June, Williams, of Low Hill Crescent, pleaded guilty to one charge of depositing controlled waste under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

He told the court he had been helping a friend clear out their house and didn’t think of the potential consequences of his actions in dumping the sofa. Williams said he had “made a stupid decision” and had “no excuse for it.”

Magistrates fined Williams £730 and ordered him to pay a victim surcharge of £292 and costs of £700. The costs awarded to the council will be reinvested back into its environmental crime service.

City of Wolverhampton Council uses a variety of methods to tackle fly tipping, including its ongoing Shop a Tipper scheme, CCTV cameras and fines.

An additional £257,146 has also been invested in the service this year to fund extra enforcement staff and six more security cameras to be placed at known hot spots across the city.

Councillor Qaiser Azeem, cabinet member for resident services at City of Wolverhampton Council, said: “Fly tipping has a real impact on our city and on our residents – it causes environmental harm and can affect community pride.

“This successful prosecution sends a clear message that the thoughtless dumping of waste will not be tolerated in Wolverhampton. Our teams work hard to investigate incidents, gather evidence and bring offenders before the courts.

“We are committed to protecting our communities and ensuring our city is a clean, safe place to live, work and visit. We are investing in enforcement and anyone caught fly tipping can expect to face the consequences.”

The recent court action supports work under the council’s ongoing Shop a Tipper campaign where anyone suspected of dumping rubbish will now have their images shared online to appeal for information to help identify them.

If the information provided leads to successful identification, and Fixed Penalty Notices are issued and paid or a prosecution takes place, residents receive a £100 Enjoy Wolverhampton Gift Card.

Residents can contact 01902 552700 with information or view images and report online at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/fly-tipping

Residents are reminded that waste can be disposed of free of charge at our Household Waste and Recycling Centres (tips) which are open 7 days a week from 8am – 4pm. Centres are at Anchor Lane, Lanesfield, Bilston and Shaw Road, Wolverhampton.

A bulky item collection service to dispose of big unwanted items is also available, find out more at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/recycling-and-waste/book-bulky-item-collection