Flytipper punished for dumping rubbish

34 year old, Bed Dwyer, from the Liverpool, pleaded guilty, at Liverpool Magistrates Court, to 6 counts of flytipping. He was found to have repeatedly dumped household and business waste, in Liverpool, has been given a 4 month suspended jail sentence and ordered to carry out 240 hours of community service. As well as being given a 16 week sentence suspended for 18 months, he was also ordered to pay ₤2,000 costs and a ₤115 surcharge.

Mr Dwyer was caught following surveillance by Environmental Services Staff from Liverpool City Council, at Liver Industrial Estate on Long Lane, L9, in 2017. The items he dumped included:- sofas, a cooker, a fridge, corrugated plastic sheeting, wood and metal. He advertised himself as a 'man and van' service on Facebook, but didn't have a waste licence and instead dumped his rubbish on the streets.

Inspector Phil Cowin from Merseyside Police said:- "Merseyside Police and Liverpool City Council work together with our partners to take positive action against criminals and their associates involved in illegal activities. Ben Dwyer wrongly assumed he could fly tip with impunity and was caught 6 times visiting Liver Industrial Estate dumping waste. His activities had a severe detrimental effect for residents, stakeholders and other users of the area. The prosecution sends a clear message to anyone who thinks that fly tipping is easy money, when we catch you we will always prosecute."

Director of Community Services, Ron Odunaiya, said:- "We very much welcome this sentence which sends out a strong message that flytipping will not be tolerated. Flytippers are criminals and profit from illegally dumping waste in our City. They cost the public purse because the Council has to clean it up. We thoroughly investigate all reports we receive of fly tipping activity and use surveillance to gain evidence. If someone is offering you a cheap deal to take away your rubbish it is probably going to be dumped illegally and we can come after you, as well. So make sure that it is somebody who is properly licensed as a waste carrier and will responsibly dispose of whatever you give them. Get them to give you a receipt which has a note of the time, date and registration number of their vehicle. Liverpool City Council has excellent facilities for residents to dispose of most unwanted household items for free using their nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre or by using the Bulky Bobs service."

Fly tipping is estimated to cost Liverpool City Council more than ₤1 million a year. The number of mobile teams tackling the issue has been doubled from two to four, with more emphasis on finding and fining those responsible, particularly builders and businesses illegally dumping trade waste.

Anybody who has information about fly tippers can contact Liverpool City Council's Street Scene Team, anonymously, on:- 0151 2333001.

Details of Merseyside's 14 waste recycling centres can be found online.

Southport golf club's hole in 1 for cancer research fundraising drive

GOLFERS from Southport's Hillside Golf Club have raised ₤11,000 to support life saving cancer research after a year long fundraising drive. The club selected North West Cancer Research, as its charity of the year and has spent the last 12 months organising a calendar of events and campaigns to raise as much money as possible for the Merseyside based charity.

Events included raffles, auctions and 'Charity Bunkers' where players donate ₤1 if they land in the 18th hole.

A fundraising highlight was the Club's Charity Golf Day, in August 2017, which pitted 2 teams of golfers against each other in a 18 hole tournament. The day helped contribute ₤7,000 towards the final fundraising total.

Barclaycard also helped to boost the Club's efforts and its match funding helped take the golfer's donation to the ₤11,000 mark.

Dave Rooney, Captain of Hillside Golf Club men's team, said:- "It's a great feeling to be able to give such a large sum of money to a charity. Each year our captains select an organisation or group as their chosen charity of the year, meaning we usually split the money we raise between 2 charities. This year, both captains unanimously decided to choose North West Cancer Research. We heard about the charity through 1 of our members and were impressed with the research they support across Merseyside and the North West. Cancer sadly has touched many of our members in 1 way or another over the last few years and it's great to know the money we raise, will support research which will benefit people on our doorstep."

North West Cancer Research has committed to funding ₤13million of locally based cancer research, over the next 5 years.

Alastair Richards, CEO of North West Cancer Research, said:- "We are honoured to have been chosen as Hillside Golf Club's charity of the year and would like to extend my thanks to all the members that helped to raise this impressive amount of money.  As an independent charity, we rely on the good will of both individuals and organisations to help us continue our life saving research in the region."

North West Cancer Research hold fundraising events throughout the year including the Cycle of Hope, which will take challengers on a 300 mile bike ride through the charities local research hubs.

For more information on its events, visit:- NWCR.Org/Events.