An Ellesmere Port man has narrowly avoided a jail sentence after pleading guilty to fly-tipping.

Samuel Trevor Dixon, 28, of Braemar Court, appeared before West Cheshire Magistrates Court on January 11, 2018.

He was sentenced to 50 hours’ community service and ordered to pay £920 costs.

The court heard officers from the council’s regulatory services team found 20 bin bags full of his household rubbish dumped on land near Lime Street/Stanley Road, Ellesmere Port.

Ellesmere Port man Samuel Trevor Dixon, 28, has narrowly avoided a jail sentence after he pleaded guilty to fly-tipping.

Dixon was traced by the officers and ultimately interviewed under caution when he admitted the offence, saying it was rubbish from when he was moving house.

In sentencing Dixon, the court noted the seriousness of the offence gave the option for a custodial sentence in this case. However, bearing in mind Dixon’s previous good character and his early guilty plea, a community service order was imposed.

Councillor Karen Shore, cabinet member for environment, said: “Fly tippers are a menace to the public, the environment and wildlife; it costs the council thousands of pounds each year to clean up after them.

“There is no excuse for fly-tipping in this way when other options are available, for example, through the council’s household waste recycling centres.

“Fly-tipping will not be tolerated in our communities. When it does occur, we will investigate, find, and prosecute the offenders. This should be a warning to all those tempted to fly-tip - fly-tipping can easily result in a jail sentence.”