Two York residents have been fined after they illegally dumpted waste and ‘blighted’ city neighbourhoods.
It comes as City of York Council cracks down on fly-tipping as part of a ‘Crime – Not to Care’ campaign.
Jake Calam, 28 of Foxwood Lane, York, pleaded guilty to illegally dumping waste on a public footpath between July 2024 and July 2025, despite repeated complaints from residents and interventions by council officers.
York magistrates fined Mr Calam £300, and ordered him to pay a £120 victim surcharge and £750 in prosecution costs, totalling £1,170.
Lianne Hodkinson, 43, formerly of Riverside Gardens, Nether Poppleton, was convicted after her household waste was fly‑tipped on land off Clifton Park Avenue, Rawcliffe in November 2024, and was traced to her address.
She admitted paying an unlicensed carrier she found on social media to remove her waste.
They took it and dumped it. Ms Hodkinson remained legally responsible for her waste and failed to check that she was using a licensed carrier.
She was fined £300 and ordered her to pay a £120 victim surcharge and £600 in prosecution costs, totalling £1,020.
Executive member for the environment at City of York Council Cllr Jenny Kent said: “Keeping York clean should be a key priority for us all, the council, residents, businesses and visitors.
“Fly‑tipping undermines that goal by blighting our neighbourhoods and wasting people’s Council Tax by diverting spend away from improvements to our public spaces.
“Through our ‘Crime – Not to Care’ campaign, we make it clear that fly-tipping is not a minor offence. Whether someone dumps waste themselves or pays an unlicensed carrier, both actions can lead to prosecution, fines and a criminal record.
“As these cases show, it’s essential that residents check that waste carriers are properly licensed, and that those carriers dispose of waste lawfully. These two prosecutions show that we will take robust enforcement action where people fail to do so.”
You can check if a waste carrier is licensed here.
