A fly tipper has pleaded guilty to dumping a sofa after he was paid £60 to take it away.

Ricky Tim ditched a sofa and other waste in Woodside Road in Abbots Langley in the summer.

He had collected the waste from a property in Watford. A woman had paid him £60 to dispose of the rubbish properly – but Tim did not have an environmental permit to do this.

Three Rivers District Council were able to trace the dumped rubbish back to Watford and the woman provided a receipt given to her by Tim.

Tim was interviewed by the council and admitted fly tipping in Abbots Langley. The council were prepared to give him a fixed penalty notice if he applied for a waste carrier’s licence.

But he failed to apply for a licence so the council prosecuted him.

On December 11, Tim pleaded guilty to the offence. St Albans Magistrates’ Court issued him with a 12-month community order with the requirement to undertake 50 hours' unpaid work. The Council were also awarded costs of £854.80.

Tim has also recently been prosecuted by Dacorum Borough Council for the same offence.

Cllr Phil Williams, responsible for environmental services and sustainability, said: “By continuing to prosecute those who fly tip and those who allow fly tipping to take place, by not carrying out the appropriate checks, we hope this sends out a clear message that fly tipping is not and will not be tolerated in Three Rivers.

“My thanks to all the hard work done by all the officers involved.”