An irresponsible Hereford delivery driver has landed himself in hot water for illegally dumping waste for the second time. In a case heard at Kidderminster Magistrates' Court, Mr Alexandru Croitoru of Grandstand Road, Hereford was fined for his careless actions.

Croitoru had failed to appear for his first court hearing at Hereford magistrate’s court on January 9, 2021, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Two years later, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023, Mr Croitoru surrendered himself at Hereford Police Station after being alerted by the Home Office on his return to the UK.

The court heard that in May 2019, Croitoru had flung ten large parcel bags full of domestic waste over a bridge on Hunderton Lane, Hereford, which landed in a farmer's field. Despite the presence of paperwork in the mess of rubbish, Croitoru did not cooperate with the investigation.

Prolific Hereford fly tipper arrested on return to UK and fined
Prolific Hereford fly tipper arrested on return to UK and fined (Herefordshire Council)

However, upon returning to the UK after some time abroad, Croitoru finally admitted his guilt and pleaded guilty to two charges of depositing controlled waste without a licence and failing to secure the transfer of waste to an authorised person. He revealed that he had made an error and did not know how else to dispose of the waste.

As punishment, Croitoru was slapped with a 12-month community order, ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work, and pay fines and costs of £1090.

Marc Willimont, the council's head of public protection, expressed his disappointment in Croitoru's actions. He stated, "This is a clear case of an individual simply dumping rubbish rather than waiting for the next refuse collection or taking it to the nearest household waste site. He did not cooperate with our enquiries, left the country and only on his return did he surrender himself to the police."

Willimont emphasised that fly-tipping is a serious offence and one that carries significant costs for council tax payers. He went on to state that anyone found guilty of this crime will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This case serves as an example of what happens when the council traces the waste back.

All householders have a responsibility to dispose of their waste correctly and maintain proper documentation of its transfer. Herefordshire Council's Community Protection Team takes this issue seriously and urges residents to report fly-tipping by calling 01432 261761 or visiting www.herefordshire.gov.uk/flytipping.