Dumped household waste leads to conviction for Portsmouth man
A man has been convicted of a householder’s duty of care offence after his household waste was found illegally dumped in the Winchester District.
Mohammed Ruman Karim, a 48 year-old resident of Havant Road, Drayton in Portsmouth, paid £200 cash in July 2024 to an unknown male – who had appeared in his driveway in an open-back truck - for the removal of household waste from his home address.
The majority of the waste, which included radiators, an internal wooden door, cardboard boxes, a chandelier, a sink, a tyre, a toilet, plastic garden edging, polystyrene, a broken planter, toys and paint pots, was subsequently found fly-tipped two days later at Sheepwash Lane in Denmead.
Mr Karim was prosecuted by Winchester City Council and pleaded guilty at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court on Friday 5 September 2025. He was sentenced to pay a fine of £750, a victim surcharge of £300 and full prosecution costs of £2,939, making a total to pay of £3,989.
Cllr Neil Cutler, Winchester City Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance, said: “The case is a timely reminder that the law states that a householder must take reasonable measures to ensure that their waste is transferred to an authorised person. Mr Karim’s failure to do this is the reason why he has been prosecuted in this manner, and it is crucial that members of the public check with the Environment Agency that the provider taking their waste away is registered as a waste carrier.
“At Winchester City Council, we have a zero-tolerance approach to fly-tipping, which is having a significant impact; the latest figures continue to show a year-on-year decrease of reported incidents in our district, and we will continue to look to prosecute all of those who commit this environmental crime wherever possible.
“Fly-tipping causes huge damage to our local communities, wildlife and the environment, and we also rely on reports and witness statements from the public to prosecute – I’d encourage anyone who witnesses or captures footage of someone dumping waste illegally in our district to report it.”
Reports of fly-tipping can be made on the council’s website, via the Your Winchester app or by calling 0300 300 0013.
Call the Environment Agency on 03708 506 506 to check that the provider taking your waste away is registered. You can also check online at https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers.