Householders may face fines

Angus Council has warned householders who hand their rubbish to rogue disposal firms only for it to be illegally dumped could end up being fined themselves.

The local authority has received several calls from the public over concerns at “man-with-a-van” type advertising for waste removal and disposal services.

It carries out inquiries to ensure the services are offered from a legitimate business.

A spokesman said: “Too often we see people’s rubbish left at the roadside or on open ground.

“We will investigate to try and find those responsible for fly-tipping.

“But householders cannot wash their hands of their responsibilities if they have passed their rubbish on to an unauthorised person. Fly-tipping is a national problem and not one we are immune to here in Angus.”

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 provides a “duty of care” for both householders and businesses to ensure that they only transfer their waste to a suitably authorised person.

Householders can put waste in their bin, or take it to a recycling centre without needing to do any checks.

If they pay someone to take their waste away, they should check they are a registered waste carrier.

This can be done by a request to see their registration document, or by checking on the Sepa website (or phone the local Sepa office at Arbroath on 01241 874370).