Two flytippers who dumped waste on a rural lane have been fined following a joint operation between Tendring District Council (TDC) and Essex Police.

A 58-year-old man from Dovercourt was caught after dumping a mattress, armchairs, toys and clothing on land partly owned by Essex Highways near Harwich. He’d visited the location 50 times in two-and-a-half months.

In unrelated activity, a 40-year-old man, also from Dovercourt, dumped soil and cardboard boxes in the same location on several occasions. He was also found to be advertising on Facebook as a waste collector, despite not holding a valid waste carrier’s licence.

Both men have been fined £400 by TDC and issued with two-year community protection warnings which warn them not to visit the location again or dump further waste on public or private land.

“If a CPW is ignored, the next step is a community protection notice which, if breached, can lead to fines or criminal prosecution. This is why we support Essex County Council’s SCRAP fly-tipping campaign and urge people who spot dumped waste to report it to their local council.”

Adrian Smith, TDC’s cabinet member for environment, said: “This was not a one-off incident in the area – it involved blatant fly-tipping over a period of time. Cases like this show exactly why we work closely with our police partners to track down offenders and hold them accountable.”

Cllr Smith also reminded residents of their responsibilities when disposing of waste. “If your waste is found as part of a fly-tip, you could face enforcement action and fines – even if you did not dump it yourself. You are liable for your waste and where it ends up. The only way to protect yourself is to use a properly licensed waste carrier and make sure you receive a receipt that includes their waste carrier licence number.”