Beauty spot fly-tip leads to £1,000 fine

A £1,000 fine has been handed out after a fly-tipper dumped a large amount of household and commercial waste at a beauty spot.

The "significant eyesore" was discovered in Penistone Hill Country Park, near Haworth.

Bradford Council said the waste included furniture, timber, doors, cardboard, black bags and general refuse.

The culprit was traced and given a fine following a formal interview under caution.

The offender was an unregistered waste disposal contractor who applied for a carrier's licence three weeks later, the council said.

Councillor Ian Walker, executive member for neighbourhoods and communities, called Penistone Hill Country Park "one of the district's most treasured open spaces" an said it attracted visitors "from across the country to enjoy its stunning scenery and connection to the Brontë sisters' heritage".

"Fly-tipping in such locations, or any location, is completely unacceptable," he added.

The council said anyone transporting waste as part of a business must hold a waste carrier registration and make sure the rubbish is dumped at an authorised site.

Householders also have a legal duty to make sure anyone they pay to take waste away is properly authorised, as not carrying out simple checks can lead to enforcement and they can also be held liable and fined.

It added that there is a "zero-tolerance approach" to fly-tipping and the council would continue to investigate environmental crime to protect communities, green spaces and the countryside.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.