A woman has been thanked after information she gave led to a fly-tipper being handed a £500 fine.

The incident happened on a country lane near the village of Hilderstone where a man dumped two hand saws and a vacuum cleaner.

The man from Cheadle was then spotted driving off in his white van but was traced by Stafford Borough Council and issued with the £500 fixed penalty notice after admitting the environmental crime.

Councillor Ian Fordham, Cabinet Member for Environment, thanked the woman saying without the public’s help they would not be able to successfully catch offenders.

“Fly-tipping is a blight on our communities - and as well as making an area untidy and potentially unsafe, it can cause environmental damage.

“We need the public’s help to trace those committing these environmental crimes and I am very grateful this lady came forward and provided details and evidence of this latest incident which has enabled us to track down the person responsible.”

This latest fly-tipping took place last month on Whitesytch Lane, Hilderstone. During the Summer more than £1,000 in fines were handed out for fly-tipping offences near the village of Gnosall and on an industrial estate at Eccleshall.

For more details on reporting environmental crimes go to www.staffordbc.gov.uk/grimewatch

Press Release No: 6330