A HESWALL man has been fined £1,000 for fly-tipping in Neston after being caught on camera.

This marks the first prosecution of its kind by the borough council in which CCTV cameras have led to a fly-tipping prosecution.

Grant Bow, of Hesketh Drive, pleaded guilty at Chester Magistrates Court.

Captured on the council’s covert CCTV equipment, he was seen removing corrugated plastic sheets from his vehicle and dumping them at the side of the road.

Using the vehicle registration number, the council’s environmental crime team traced him using the Police National Computer.

The CCTV equipment was bought last year to help in the fight against fly-tipping, with the assistance of the community safety team.

The environmental protection unit and environmental crime team have been deploying the covert equipment at known hotspots around the borough.

Michael Cronley, the council’s environmental protection officer, said: “We will continue to carry out these covert operations around the borough where we feel there is a particular threat from fly tipping.

“We will continue to treat each case seriously and will use all available powers to the full. Fly-tipping is costly to clean up, harmful to health and dangerous to wildlife.

“It spoils our enjoyment of the environment and can cause serious pollution.”