The large pile of waste, left on land in Coleman Street, also included multiple black bags, plastic packaging, drink cans, clothing and books.

Following an investigation and prosecution by the council, Onoriu Batista, of Coleman Street, was fined £660, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £264 and full prosecution costs of £1,172.54. The costs awarded to the council will be reinvested back into its environmental crime service.

During a hearing at Dudley Magistrates Court on 29 July, Batista was found guilty in his absence of one obstruction charge under section 110 of The Environment Act 1995, for failing to comply with investigating officers’ requests for assistance.

The investigation began in August last year following a complaint to the council of a fly tip on land at Coleman Street which had started to smell.

Environmental crime officers attended and searched through the waste for evidence.

Documentation relating to a property near to the green space was found and officers confirmed the occupant as Batista. He was formally requested to attend an interview at the council but failed to attend the appointment.

As a result, the investigation could not be progressed and a file was submitted against Mr Batista for obstructing the investigation. Batista then failed to appear in court.

Councillor Qaiser Azeem, cabinet member for resident services at City of Wolverhampton Council, said: “This was a very unpleasant case of dumped waste for our officers to investigate but we will not stop in our efforts to track these thoughtless criminals down.

“It is really important that we bring cases such as this to court. They serve as a warning to others that they can’t ignore our investigations and just hope we will go away.

"We will take all necessary steps to keep our city clean, and those involved in fly-tipping should be aware that we will use every tool available to us to bring offenders to justice."

City of Wolverhampton Council uses a variety of methods to tackle fly tipping, including CCTV cameras and fines. An additional £257,146 has 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.

The recent court action also supports work under the council’s ongoing Shop a Tipper campaign where anyone suspected of dumping rubbish will 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