Man faces £1,000 fine after dumping doors near Slough tip to avoid £6.40 charge

A Slough resident is set to be fined after dumping two internal doors in a ditch just yards from the Chalvey Waste and Recycling Centre rather than paying a small disposal charge.

The incident took place in October when the resident arrived at the Chalvey site with three internal doors loaded into his Audi A3.

Site staff advised him that one door could be disposed of free of charge, but that a small fee would apply for the remaining two.

After refusing to pay, the man left the free door at the site, drove away and went around the corner to Spackmans Way, where he dumped the other two doors into a nearby ditch.

Under current charges, internal doors cost £3.20 each to dispose of after the first free item, meaning the total fee would have been £6.40.

Slough Borough Council’s enforcement team is now tracking the driver and is in the process of issuing a £1,000 fixed penalty notice for fly-tipping.

The fine can be reduced to £500 if paid within 14 days.

Councillor Ejaz Ahmed, lead member for public protection, said the incident highlighted a frustrating and costly problem for the borough.

“Refusing to pay £6.40 to dispose of two doors and instead choosing to fly-tip and end up with a fine which is more than 150 times more expensive is almost too ridiculous to believe – but this is what we are dealing with on a regular basis,” he said.

“The vast majority of household waste can be tipped for free at Chalvey Waste and Recycling Centre, and even with DIY waste there is an amount that is free before any charges kick in.

“People may not like paying to dispose of certain items at our centre but the cost of choosing to fly-tip is much much higher. We will find you and fine you.”