Moment Chadwell Heath fly-tipper dumps mattress in street

Except there’s a CCTV camera that is looking, just as 34-year-old Martin Stokes offloads his rubbish from this yellow transit van parked on the kerb in the secluded Fields Park Crescent.

It was enough for Redbridge Council enforcement officers to issue a Penalty Notice, along with another from an incident two days before when they say he was spotted by a householder fly-tipping garden waste at lock-up garages off Sommerville Road nearby.

The officers examined CCTV footage linking Stokes to both fly-tipping incidents, Barkingside Magistrates’ Court was told.

Stokes is seen in the first incident dumping large piles of vegetation and household waste from the back of a yellow Ford Transit van.

The same van is captured on CCTV two days after in the out-of-the-way Fields Park Crescent.

The two Fixed Penalty notices demanding £2,000 were sent to his address in Harlow — but returned in the post marked as ‘not here’. Stokes had moved to the Midlands by then.

The council didn’t let the matter go and traced him to an address in Birmingham where he was sent a court summons. But he failed to appear on the day, resulting in a warrant being issued for his arrest.

“We won’t tolerate people fly-tipping,” Redbridge Council’s cabinet member for enforcement Khayer Chowdhury warned. “This prosecution is our commitment to holding law-breakers to account and the lengths we go to find those responsible — even when they change address.”

Stokes, who was arrested in the West Midlands, appeared via video link before Barkingside magistrates on July 8 with a solicitor, when he pleaded guilty to the two fly-tipping charges. He was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £2,260.

Any fly-tipping reported to the council is recorded, with enforcement action taken if evidence is found.

Redbridge Council promises to clear fly-tips and rubbish on public land and on the highway within 24 hours of being reported.