A MAN who dumped storage heaters, packaging and cardboard at the side of the road thought authorities would be able to move it to a landfill the next day.

Ryan Lelliott of Dunsley Terrace, South Kirby, West Yorkshire dumped the packaging and equipment at the side of Lee Road, near Romsey.

The 35-year-old, who is self-employed, was in Hampshire for work and told the court how it had gotten late and needed to discard the items.

Bethany Adams, prosecuting, said two people turned up in a vehicle and the storage heaters were dumped in a layby, whilst packaging and cardboard boxes were left in an adjacent field.

The pair then left, with Lelliott having been driving at the time.

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Ms Adams added that there was a “risk to wildlife, especially with the packaging” and that when asked about the incident, Lelliott had said he knew nothing of the fly-tip.

It took two men two hours to clean up the mess.

But defending himself in court, Lelliott said he had rang the office and asked what to do with the items.

“I thought if I put them outside the landfill site they might be able to put them in a landfill site the next day”, he said.

“I apologise. I did do it and I know not to do it again.

“It was better than me just trying to dump it somewhere. I take full responsibility.”

But magistrate chair, Anne Srokosz told Lelliott, who has recently lost his licence for an unrelated issue, that “this is very serious”.

“There is a lot of fly-tipping going on. You did try find an appropriate place but clearly, it wasn’t was it.”

Lelliott was fined £1,800 and ordered to pay £935 in costs and a £180 surcharge.

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