Absolute Rubbish: agent fined over six-foot mound of garbage

An east London lettings agency must pay more than £2,500 after a six-foot-high pile of waste was found fly-tipped on land the company owned.

The massive mound was discovered by enforcement officers from Barking and Dagenham council in March; the case has only recently reached court.

As well as the six-foot-high pile, council officers found several fly-tips including 14 drums of used oil, discarded tyres and a number of black bags full of waste. 

The landowner, Imran Nizami, of Nizami Properties, was issued with a Community Protection Notice under Section 43 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014, instructing the fly-tips be cleared and a weekly waste removal schedule be put in place. 

When officers revisited the site and found no evidence of a clean-up, Nizami was issued with a £100 fixed penalty notice. When he failed to pay the fine, despite offences contrary to S43 of the Act meaning he could face a fine of up to £20,000, the council began legal proceedings. 

A council spokeswoman says: “This landowner allowed the area to end up looking like a rubbish tip, which is not only unsightly but smelly and attracts vermin. We gave him several opportunities to resolve the issue, but he chose to ignore us. Today he learned an expensive lesson.” 

Appearing at Barkingside Magistrate’s Court, Nizami pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay a £1,800 fine with £616 costs plus £90 victim surcharge.