EARLIER this year Mid Devon District Council received a report that a male was advertising a chargeable “waste collection” service via “Facebook”.

This was being offered for the whole of the Devon area and included anything that people wanted to throw out that would not normally be collected as “black sack” residual waste through their own waste collection service.

Once the waste was collected, the male put it out as part of his fortnightly domestic waste collection from his home address in Mid Devon.

This is when Mid Devon District Council’s Enforcement Officers became suspicious of the person’s activities.

The officers made an unannounced visit to the resident’s home address on a scheduled black sack collection day to inspect his rubbish and, discovering various items of interest, subsequently invited him in for a formal interview under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 legislation.

During the interview he admitted “duty of care” waste offences committed under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and was fined £300 and told to cease “trading” as a waste carrier as no appropriate licence had been obtained.

Mid Devon District Council said that the generator of the waste (householder) has a duty to know where the waste is being disposed of and that the company they use is registered to transport and dispose of the waste by the Environment Agency.

The public is reminded to please ask any company or sole trader offering the service to provide copies of their licences before hiring and paying them to take away waste.

Cllr Neal Davey, MDDC’s cabinet member for the environment, said: “These rogue traders are defrauding the householder and the local tax payer. It is important that all are vigilant and know the legal consequences of unlawful waste disposal”.