Woman fined more than £700 after rubbish dumped near St Austell

A woman has been ordered to pay more than £700 in fines and costs after nine bags of rubbish were dumped on private land near St Austell.

Rubbish Found Less Than a Mile From Home

In March 2024, nine bags of household waste were found at Carbean, near St Austell. The rubbish was traced back to a home in Stenalees, less than a mile away. When Cornwall Council’s Community Protection team visited the address, Samantha Rosevear told officers she had paid someone she found on Facebook to remove the rubbish.

Officers asked Samantha if she had checked whether the person held a valid waste carrier’s licence, and requested their contact details and copies of the messages arranging the collection. Despite repeated requests, she did not provide the information.

In July 2024, Samantha was served with a legal notice requiring her to assist the investigation. She ignored the notice, and the case was taken to court.

Guilty Plea at Bodmin Magistrates’ Court

On Monday, 24th November, Samantha, of Warren Court, Stenalees, appeared at Bodmin Magistrates’ Court and pleaded guilty to two offences. These were failing to comply with her householder’s duty of care for the transfer of household waste to a licensed waste collector under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and failing to assist a Cornwall Council enforcement officer under the Environment Act 1995.

The 37 year old was ordered to pay a total of £712.24. This included £240 in fines, £96 in victim surcharges, £126.24 to the landowner for clearing the waste, and £250 to Cornwall Council towards court costs.

Council Warning Over Fly Tipping

Councillor Thalia Marrington, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Public Protection at Cornwall Council, said:
“This individual had multiple opportunities to provide the information requested and cooperate with our investigation. She chose to ignore our requests, which resulted in her being prosecuted for her actions.
“Fly tipping and littering can have serious environmental consequences and costs Cornish taxpayers and landowners hundreds of thousands of pounds to clear up every year.
“When these types of offences do occur, we will always investigate and take action against those responsible.”

How to Check a Waste Carrier’s Licence

Anyone paying for waste removal is urged to check if the person holds a valid waste carrier’s licence by using the public register on the Environment Agency’s website. You can search the register here.

Report Fly Tipping

Cornwall Council encourages people to report fly tipped waste here and to upload any evidence that could help identify those responsible.

If a fly tip is blocking a road, it should be reported to the Police by calling 999.

Fly tips can also be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or through the Crimestoppers website