Charges brought over Lichfield’s Watery Lane fly-tipping incident

A man and a business have been charged in relation to an enormous fly-tipping incident in Staffordshire in January.

The large-scale dumping blocked Watery Lane in Lichfield with a mound which the local authority said amounted to more than 27 tonnes of waste.

A man from Uttoxeter faces multiple charges – including depositing waste, endangering road users, dangerous driving, breaching HGV drivers’ hours regulations, and obstructing the highway.

The company, based near Stafford, was charged with depositing the waste and obstructing the highway.

In the early hours of 20 January, a huge pile of waste – estimated by Lichfield District Council to be more than 15m (50 ft) in length and 2m (6.5 ft) high – completely blocked access for local residents and businesses.

As part of their investigation, Lichfield District Council’s environmental health officers raided a site on 21 March and seized a lorry believed to have been used in the incident.

The council said it had retained the vehicle and would apply for its forfeiture if the defendants are convicted.

Both the man and the company are due to appear at Cannock Magistrates’ Court on 1 July.

Lichfield District Council leader Doug Pullen said the cost to the taxpayer of removing and disposing of the waste was nearly £10,000.

“We take a zero-tolerance approach to fly-tipping, because that’s what our communities rightly expect,” he said.

“This case is about more than prosecution. It’s about protecting our environment, supporting law-abiding businesses, safeguarding local people – and sending a strong message that illegal dumping will not be tolerated.”