A WINSFORD man has been fined after rubbish he'd paid a white van man to remove from his back garden was found dumped nearby.

Mark Jenkinson, 49, of Rookery Rise, was appearing at Chester Magistrates Court on Wednesday (January 13) charged with being the occupier of a domestic property and failing to ensure the person removing the household waste was authorised to do so.

Jenkinson pleaded guilty to the charge, telling the court he hadn't asked if the man in question was authorised to remove rubbish after paying him £20 to do so.

Ian Moore, prosecuting on behalf of Cheshire West and Chester Council, said the incident dated back to June 10 2019 when a volunteer litter picker found a significant amount of waste dumped by the old Whitegate railway station.

Northwich Guardian: The waste was dumped by the old Whitegate railway station.

The waste was dumped by the old Whitegate railway station.

The matter had been reported to the council and upon further investigation of the items discarded, documents revealed Jenkinson's name and address details, which at the time was Severn Walk in Winsford.

Mr Moore said: "I must make it clear, it is not being alleged that Mr Jenkinson physically fly tipped the rubbish himself.

"He has given it to a third party to dispose of, however as the occupier of the home, he had a responsibility to ensure that person had a license to do so.

"When he was interviewed by council officers he explained that he had moved out of the Severn Walk property and the waste had been bagged up and left in the garden.

"He then said how he had paid £20 to a man in a white van to come and take it away and dispose of."

Mr Moore went on to tell the Magistrates that Jenkinson had made no attempt to find out if the man in the van was authorised to remove the rubbish and how there had been between 8-10 bags of household waste.

Jenkinson, who pleaded guilty to the charge, confirmed he had paid a man £20 to take the rubbish away after clearing his house in readiness of moving.

He said: "I was moving house and I just made arrangements for him to move the bags.

"I don't have any details of the man or ask he was authorised.

"He was just a man who clears gardens on the estate where I lived at the time."

Jenkinson was fined £120 and must pay prosecution court costs of £274 and a £30 surcharge.