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A business that runs a Paisley convenience store has been hit with a £2,642 civil penalty from the Scottish Environment Agency (SEPA) after being caught on CCTV fly tipping waste an astonishing seven times in just over two-months.

Between 25 May and 25 June last year, cardboard, plastic bread crates, black bin bags and packaging were fly tipped at Spiersbridge Business Park.

CCTV footage showed the same vehicle arriving at the site on seven separate occasions - each time, controlled waste was illegally deposited.

The initial investigation was undertaken by East Renfrewshire Council’s Environmental Health Officers, who attended the location after each incident. Information was shared with SEPA, and it was subsequently determined that the waste came from a convenience store operated by a company called CRAA Ltd.

SEPA says it is now working more closely with local authorities to tackle Scotland’s fly tipping problem as part of the National Litter and Fly Tipping Strategy. The agency’s new ability to issue Variable Monetary Penalties - at a higher level than civil penalties available to council officers - is a significant addition to the fight against fly tippers in Scotland, it says.

George Hope, unit manager in SEPA’s enforcement support team, said: “Fly tipping isn’t just lazy - it’s illegal. It can cause serious harm to our environment, wildlife and communities and places an unnecessary burden on landowners, councils and taxpayers – diverting money and resources that could be better used elsewhere to clear it up.”

Councillor Danny Devlin added: “We’re determined to keep working to stamp out fly tipping across East Renfrewshire and maintain our area. The Council will do everything possible to prosecute offenders in East Renfrewshire, and I’d encourage residents who witness illegal dumping to report it.”

In addition to the above fine, CRAA Ltd will also be required to pay SEPA costs of £796.60, taking the total due to over £3k.

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