A 31-year-old man was caught on camera illegally dumping a felled tree in a road in Hedgerley.

Piotr Ostrowski of Farnham Road, Slough, was hauled in front of High Wycombe magistrates and pleaded guilty to an offence of fly-tipping on August 22.

The court hear that Ostrowski and another man were caught on a surveillance camera abandoning a tree on Andrew Hill Lane, which they stored in the back of a van, on April 16.

Investigators working on behalf of the Waste Partnership for Buckinghamshire traced Ostrowski via his van registration, however they were unable to identify the other suspect.

Ostrowski was interviewed at Slough Police Station and said he had dumped the tree as a favour for a friend – claiming he had first gone to a rubbish tip, but found it was closed.

The magistrates fined Ostrowski £990, ordered him to pay £1,045 towards the council’s costs and imposed a victim surcharge of £99.

South Bucks District Council’s cabinet member for environment, Luisa Sullivan, said: “This case demonstrates the skill with which our enforcement officers deploy their anti-fly tipping surveillance cameras, including in fairly remote places such as this.

“People should be aware that if they decide to fly tip their waste in the Bucks countryside, they too are likely to find themselves in court."

Illegal dumping can be reported at www.fixmystreet.buckscc.gov.uk.