Middlesbrough landlord caught on camera as he dumped furniture

A landlord who dumped furniture in an alleyway handed himself in after being caught on camera.

David Medland was filmed as he and another man left a sofa and armchair in an area behind houses in central Middlesbrough.

But following an appeal for information about the incident including footage of the pair the 62-year-old contacted Middlesbrough Council admitting he was one of the men.

Yesterday Medland, of Allendale Road, Billingham appeared before Teesside magistrates where he admitted depositing controlled waste on land otherwise than in accordance with an environmental permit.

He was given a six-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay a £15 victim surcharge, the Council’s legal costs of £100 and the £75 cost of removing the waste.

The court was told the footage taken in central Middlesbrough in December, 2013 showed a white van in an area behind houses, with two men seen dumping an armchair and a sofa before driving off again.

Following the publication of stills from the film Medland - the older of the two men - contacted the Council and was subsequently interviewed by Enforcement Officers.

CCTV cameras caught these two fly-tippers in the act

He told officers he was a property landlord and owned the vehicle involved in the footage and that he was one of the men.

He confirmed that the furniture seen abandoned in the footage was from a property he owns in Billingham, and admitted during the interview that he should not have left the items in the alley and that no one had given him permission to do so.

He accepted all responsibility for his actions that day and said the person with him was an employee and was only acting on his instructions.

Councillor Tracy Harvey, Middlesbrough Council’s Executive Member for Environment, said: “Fly-tipping leads to environmental eyesores, and those tempted to use it as a shortcut will be prosecuted where possible.

“Bulky items like these can be disposed of safely and responsibly at minimal cost, and we are always happy to offer advice and guidance.”