Brendon Garner was found guilty of controlling a vehicle responsible for fly-tipping offences after a pile of garden, household, and building waste was dumped at Blakenhall Resource Centre.

Garner, of Blaze Park, Kingswinford, was ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work, with 20 rehabilitation days. He was also disqualified from driving for six months, ordered to pay costs of £1,000 and his vehicle was made the subject of a forfeiture order.

Garner had denied the charge during an earlier trial but was found guilty by magistrates. He was sentenced at Dudley Magistrates Court on 18 May.

The trial heard that on 29 April last year, a report was received of fly tipping on land at Blakenhall Resource Centre, Haggar Street. The incident had taken place the night before and was captured on the CCTV cameras that were monitoring the site.

The images showed a white van with its number plates covered being reversed onto the site. A man was then seen unloading the contents, including mixed household and garden waste, a builder’s bag of vegetation and an armchair, from the van onto land at the community centre.

The incident was reported to the council’s environmental crime team, but the vehicle could not be traced due to the obscured registration plates. However, the following day, a similar van was spotted driving in Deansfield Road by a fly tipping officer.

The officer followed the vehicle and noted that a rear light was not working, which was consistent with the images of the van in the fly tipping incident. The officer took the registration of the vehicle and checked the details with police who confirmed that the registered keeper, and only named person on the insurance, was Garner.

Officers visited Garner’s property to view and identify the vehicle. It was subsequently seized following a number of attempts and matches were made between the vehicle on the CCTV footage and the one seized.

Garner later attempted to claim the vehicle, stating he was the registered keeper and providing appropriate documentation. Officers requested he attend an interview under caution at the civic centre.

Garner attended but denied that the vehicle shown in the incident footage was his, or that he was the man in the CCTV footage. He was shown examples of the distinguishing features on the vehicle used in the fly tipping and the matches to his vehicle. Garner continued to deny that it was his vehicle.

When asked about a notebook found in the vehicle with details of a waste job in Caledonia Road, All Saints, with a phone number and “£250 DONE”, Garner refused to comment.

Councillor Qaiser Azeem, cabinet member for resident services at City of Wolverhampton Council, said: “This was quite an involved case for our officers with a lot of information gathering to bring a prosecution.

“Despite the evidence shown to Garner, he continued to deny any involvement in the fly tipping. But he was later found guilty by magistrates who were satisfied that the vehicle used to commit the offence was his.

“Anyone thinking of carrying out this thoughtless crime needs to realise that we will do all we can to find you and take action. We will also highlight what has happened as a warning to others thinking of doing the same.

“Our officers work incredibly hard to keep the city clean, and their efforts should not be undermined by the careless actions of a few individuals. Residents, businesses, and visitors alike deserve to enjoy clean, green spaces.”

The recent court action supports ongoing work under the council’s 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 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