Man faces fine after surveillance footage reveals illegal act in broad daylight: 'The evidence ... was overwhelming'

A Londoner was caught on CCTV illegally dumping trash in a roadside ditch. His punishment will last two years.

Leroy Bartholomew of Walthamstow discarded 150 tires and at least four 55-gallon drums, as well as other trash, on the A412 Uxbridge Road, the BBC reported. He pleaded guilty to two counts of depositing controlled waste without the authority of a current environmental permit.

He will serve a 12-month community order of 120 unpaid work hours and pay £1,200 (about $1,555 USD) in court costs over the next two years. The 60-year-old did not cooperate with investigators after they tracked a vehicle captured on the surveillance footage, per the outlet.

Fly-tipping, or illegally dumping, tires costs the British economy tens of millions of pounds annually, according to Tyre and Rubber Recycling. It also prevents the tires from being recycled and pollutes the environment, leaching toxic chemicals, including heavy metals and hydrocarbons, into soil and water.

Tires shed microplastics and other dangerous debris as they break down, and they can harbor disease-carrying pests, too.

"The evidence in this case was overwhelming and allowed us to bring the case to court despite the defendant choosing not to engage with our investigations," Buckinghamshire councillor Thomas Broom, cabinet member for climate change and environment, said, per the BBC. "We will always seek to prosecute where we can and rely on the judicial system to deliver a ruling that acts as a firm deterrent to 'would-be' offenders.

"In this case, the defendant will have to carry out a lengthy term of community service which will allow him to reflect on his actions; actions which have earned him a criminal record."

If illegal dumping is a problem in your area, ask police to enforce statutes. Contact lawmakers to suggest the installation of surveillance cameras and the adoption of stiffer penalties. Organize a community cleanup (or do it yourself). Talk to others and tell local media about the problem.

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