A man who dumped rubbish on two occasions in Redbourn and lied to police about it has been given a suspended jail sentence.

Joseph Stanley, 39, of Ashcroft Road, Luton, was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, at St Albans Crown Court on Wednesday.

He was also ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay £3,500 in costs. The Crown Court is currently looking into confiscating his white Ford Transit van. He is due to appear in court for this matter on April 28, 2017.

Waste including fence panels and rubble was found dumped in Aubrey Lane in Redbourn completely blocking the road on June 11, 2014. Paperwork found within the waste was traced back to St Albans Herts Property Maintenance and Stanley for garden work completed in Stanmore. For this count, he received a three month custodial sentence, suspended for two years.

Trees, garden and general waste was also fly-tipped, blocking the road in Flamsteadbury Lane, Redbourn, on June 26, 2014.

Again, paperwork was traced back to Stanley and his company. He received a three month custodial sentence, suspended for two years, to run concurrently.

He was arrested for the offences but denied dumping the waste and maintained that the waste had been removed by a skip and grab company in Watford.

Stanley produced documentation to police which he stated covered the collection of both loads of waste by the skip company.

But enquiries showed the documentation had been altered. Further enquires with the skip company confirmed that Stanley had gone to the premises, lied to staff and managed to obtain tickets to cover the collection dates, which he later altered. He received a 15-month custodial sentence, suspended for two years.

Stanley appeared at St Albans Crown Court on February 28, 2017 for two offences of fly-tipping and perverting the course of justice. On March 1, a jury unanimously convicted him of all three counts.

St Albans rural and wildlife officer PC Jane Flemons said: “Fly-tipping causes problems in the community and blights the landscape.

"It causes a lot of upset for landowners when waste is dumped on their land and often leaves them out of pocket when they have to pay for the waste to be disposed of correctly.

"Stanley showed no consideration for residents by recklessly dumping the waste blocking two roads in Redbourn. He then tried to deceive police by falsifying documents and therefore faced a third charge of perverting the course of justice.

"We are pleased with his sentence and hope it reminds potential fly-tippers that we will do everything to trace you and you could face a custodial sentence and reassures the local community that we will act on information.”

Anyone who sees someone flytipping should call the police immediately. For waste dumped at the roadside, the public should report the details to the council by calling 01727 819285 or emailing wastemanagementservices@stalbans.gov.uk