Tendring: MP to be fined for flytipping

9:44am Thursday 8th May 2008

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HARWICH MP Douglas Carswell is due to receive a fixed penalty notice for littering.

Mr Carswell is due to receive a demand for £75 from Tendring Council for allegedly dumping rubbish.

However, Mr Carswell, who has led litter picks and says he is an ardent recycler, refutes the accusation and said he will dispute it.

The Gazette understands the incident relates to rubbish found dumped near Mr Carswell's home in Thorpe last month.

Information found inside the rubbish sack has led the council to Mr Carswell.

However, Mr Carswell, who was informed of the impending fixed penalty notice by the Gazette, said: "I fiercely and vigorously dispute the idea that I have disposed of my rubbish in an inappropriate way.

" It is nonsense. Only this Bank Holiday weekend, I visited the municipal dump at Kirby le Soken and disposed of a number of items for recycling."

He added: "I have not received a notice and I think it is pretty shocking that someone can be accused like this without having received a notice. Dirty tricks in the literal sense of the words.

He continued: "I find this all bizarre. It is laughable but also quite unpleasant."

Mr Carswell said he was contacting Tendring Council asking for more information.

Mr Carswell has orchestrated a number of litter picks and is recently wrote to Tendring Council to suggest organising another clear-up near Brook Retail Park in Clacton.

He confirmed he put out his own rubbish from his house in Thorpe. He added: "I have a bin which is secure which I put my rubbish in because I am conscious of the problem of mice and rats.

"I recycle plastic bottles, glass and newspapers and drive to the dump deliberately to make sure they are recycled."

Nigel Brown, Tendring Council's communications manager, said the council was proactive over littering and fly-tipping and aims to call offenders to account where it has the evidence to do so.

He added: "It is not the council's policy to reveal the names of anyone who is served with a fixed penalty notice.

"Where a notice is served and the £75 fine is not paid it is the council's policy to pursue non-payers through the courts."

It is not the first time Mr Carswell has run into trouble with Tendring Council.

Two years ago, he failed to pay his council tax for his flat in Nelson Road, Clacton, after a computer hitch.

Mr Carswell was called to account after the quarterly payment for his council tax did not go through.

North Essex MP Bernard Jenkin, who has led calls for more to be done to track down flytippers, declined to comment on the accusation being levelled at his Conservative counterpart.