Evidence found in hunt for golf course fly-tipper

Derby City Council says it has found evidence to help identify the person whose rubbish was fly-tipped at the entrance of a city golf course.

The authority said it was alerted to bin bags, a sofa and multiple mattresses being dumped at the entrance of Derby Golf Course in Sinfin on Tuesday.

Council leader and Sinfin councillor Nadine Peatfield said public protection officers had since found evidence within the rubbish that could help identify the owner.

"It's a terrible sight to see. We hate fly-tipping and it's an absolute disgrace," she said.

Peatfield added: "When there are black bags, that can be a signal to find things such as bank statements or letters that points to who the culprit is.

"The person who the rubbish belongs to could have innocently paid someone to get rid of it.

"If the person paid someone to legally get rid of the rubbish, we will go to them and ask them to put us in contact with who removed it for them.

"That person getting rid of it could have then fly-tipped it, but we are trying to get to the bottom of it."

Peatfield added the rubbish needed to be "assessed for secondary evidence" before it could be removed on Thursday.

A Derby City Council spokesperson said: "We are committed to tackling environmental crime, which negatively impacts our city and places a financial burden on taxpayers."

They added anyone convicted of fly-tipping could face an unlimited fine and up to five years in prison.

Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.