At York Magistrates Court on 23 August 2017, Leigh Garside, aged 26 of Roache Avenue, York was fined £450 and was ordered to pay £250 in costs and a court surcharge of £45.

Paige Greenwood, aged 24 of Heathside, York was fined £150 and told to pay £200 in costs and a £30 court surcharge.

Both failed to turn up to an earlier hearing which resulted in a warrant being issued for their arrest.

On 29 December 2016, two residents responded to a Facebook post by Paige Greenwood offering to remove waste from their properties. She arranged for her partner Leigh Garside to remove the waste in a white unmarked van and was paid £10 on both occasions.

Investigating a complaint about fly tipping on Broad Lane, Upper Poppleton, officers found labels on waste boxes giving the address of one of the residents who had paid for the collection.

On 27January 2017, notices were served on Mr Garside to produce copies of his waste carrier’s licence and evidence of lawful disposal of waste that he had collected in the last two years. He couldn’t do either.

Ms Greenwood admitted posting messages on Facebook but hadn’t ensured that Mr Garside was a registered waste carrier, while Mr Garside admitted to dumping waste in Broad Lane, Upper Poppleton, to carrying waste without a licence and failing to produce information about waste and other environmental offences.

Mr Garside told investigators that he was unaware of the requirements and that he dumped the waste on a pile already there thinking that it wouldn’t make any difference.

Andrew Waller, executive councillor with responsibility for the environment, said:
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