Jail, Caesar! Rotherham council prosecutes one of the worst fly-tipping offenders

Horace Piggott showed a “persistent disregard” for the rules when he continued to dump waste on country lanes in Rotherham, north-east Derbyshire and the surrounding area, despite warnings from Rotherham Council that he was being investigated.

Horace Piggott advertised his waste collection services via leaflets using a number of false names, including Caesar, Michael Smith and D Price.

The council said it carried out what it believed was the largest seizure of vehicles associated with fly-tipping in the UK — taking 15 vehicles from Horace and his son Deano during their probe.

Ten of the vehicles were seized in January last year and a further five had been taken since, said the council.

Horace Piggott (67) was jailed for two years at Sheffield Crown Court last Monday for fly-tipping and fraud offences.

Deano Piggott (36), was given a 12-month community order for fly-tipping offences, and Johanna Galvin (31), was given an eight-month jail term, suspended for a year, for money laundering connected to the operation.

All three defendants, who live at Long Acre View, Holbrook, Sheffield, pleaded guilty to the offences.

Judge Roger Thomas said that Piggott had shown a persistent disregard for the regulatory regime by continuing to fly-tip, despite the council having alerted him to the fact that he was being investigated and despite it having seized 15 vehicles.

Rotherham Council carried out a major initiative to catch the fly-tippers, utilising covert cameras and tracking waste back to residents and businesses which had produced it.

Speaking after the hearing, a council spokesman said: “Local residents paid for their waste to be collected, from which any valuable items such as scrap metal were removed and sold, before fly-tipping the remaining waste in country lanes in Rotherham, north-east Derbyshire and surrounding areas.

“Any money obtained from the sale of the scrap metal was then paid through Johanna Galvin’s bank account.”

Rotherham Council led a joint prosecution and worked with North East Derbyshire District Council to bring the trio to justice.

“The extent of the fly-tipping by these individuals has been substantial and has been ongoing for an extensive period of time,” said the council spokesman.

“The size of the fly-tips has on some occasions completely blocked lanes creating severe risks to road users and the cost of cleaning up the fly-tipped waste has been substantial for the council.

“It is believed that the defendants were earning a large amount of money from their illegal activity and this is now subject to a financial investigation.”

Rotherham Council’s assistant director of community safety and Street Scene, Tom Smith, said: “It costs the council over £160,000 a year to clear fly-tipping in the borough.

“We will continue to use all available legislation to catch and prosecute those who put others at risk by illegally disposing of their waste.”

Ms Smith said legitimate waste removal companies would have waste carriers licences and a real business address.

“They will always offer receipts for the waste and be able to explain where it will be disposed,” he said.

“Where residents go for the cheap unofficial option to dispose of waste, they could also be committing an offence and can be prosecuted.”

Horace Piggott was banned from collecting and disposing of controlled waste or owning any vehicles for that purpose for ten years.

He was also banned from advertising waste collection services including on social media.

To report fly-tipping go to https://www.rotherham.gov.uk/xfp/form/183