Man hit with hefty fine after getting caught in illegal act at notorious hotspot: 'He found out the hard way'

The High Wycombe Magistrates' Court ordered a local man in Buckinghamshire, England, to pay over £2,000 (about $2,500) for illegally dumping two mattresses, reported GB News.

CCTV caught the defendant pulling the mattresses out of a van and leaving them at a popular illegal dumping — or "fly-tipping" — hotspot on January 22.

Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment Thomas Broom said the man thought fly-tipping "was the easy option when it came to getting rid of his waste, but he found out the hard way that breaking the law is never a sensible option," per GB News.

From mattresses to cardboard to large appliances, nothing seems off limits in the area. "It still looks like a disgrace," and one may even see "dirty underwear lying in the street," Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick told GB News a month after the incident and some minimal trash removal.

However, it's a problem worldwide. One family used a British Columbia forest to dump 1,000 pounds of used diapers, and someone used an American homeowner's yard to dump a broken toilet.

Per the UK's Environment Agency, individuals illegally dump about 18% of the waste in England, which amounts to approximately 34 million tonnes (over 37 million tons) of trash sitting somewhere it shouldn't be. In the 2021/2022 fiscal year, the agency fined violators over £6.2 million (nearly $8 million).

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Aside from being detrimental to the environment, waste crime can cause financial loss in the form of decreased property value and increase the risk of rodent invasions. In the United States, one North Carolina community has fought against illegal tire dumping — a fire hazard and perfect snake den that has been a gateway for pest invasions on local residential property.

Culprits can be hard to catch, especially if they "just turn up in the night and they just dump their rubbish," a Handsworth, Birmingham, council resident named Angela complained to GB News.

This practice may stem from a lack of knowledge about local disposal and recycling options, wanting to avoid paying for disposal services, or easy access to unmanaged or unattended open spaces.

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In the United States, where, according to the EPA, people illegally dump as much as 1.5 million tons of waste, anyone can call 1-800-GOT-JUNK for bulky items. Services for specific items like appliances include LoadUp. Paying for pickup is likely cheaper than a county fine — which can reach several thousand dollars in some cases.