A man from Chinnor has been fined for dumping rubbish in a lay-by.

Phillip Goff of Rannal Drive, Chinnor, Oxfordshire pleaded guilty to an offence of depositing waste illegally.

The case was heard at Aylesbury Magistrates Court on Tuesday, December 9.

Mr Goff was ordered to pay a total of £909; including a £535 fine and clean-up and prosecution costs of £320. A victim surcharge of £54 was also added.

Magistrates heard that on May 12 this year, six bags of household waste were found dumped at the recycle site at the lay-by on the A4129 Thame Road, Longwick, near Princes Risborough.

The rubbish was examined by an investigator from the Waste Partnership for Buckinghamshire, who found traceable household waste items.

Mr Goff admitted dumping the waste at the lay-by after there was a missed rubbish collection at his home.

He said the bin in the lay-by was full and he had not realised it would be considered fly-tipping to leave it next to the bin.

Mr Goff claimed he had tried various legitimate means of disposing of the waste, but he had been very pressed for time and had not felt that he was acting illegally.

The case was prosecuted by Buckinghamshire County Council working on behalf of the Waste Partnership for Buckinghamshire.

The Waste Partnership launched the ‘Illegal Dumping Costs’ campaign in October 2003 to tackle illegal dumping and waste management offences in Buckinghamshire.

Since its introduction, there have been 454 convictions against individuals and companies for illegal dumping and related offences, averaging at least one conviction a week.