A man and a woman from Norfolk have been fined after being caught dumping waste illegally in the village of Clenchwarton. Surveillance by the Environment Agency, using covert drone and camera footage, spotted vehicles at Kenfield Farm and Clockcase Road between April 2023 and January 2024, resulting in prosecutions and fines for the offenders.
Waste Dumping Caught On Camera
Rebecca Simper and Luke Webb were identified after Environment Agency surveillance spotted their vehicles at two separate illegal waste sites near Clenchwarton, Norfolk. Simper’s van was recorded dumping waste at Kenfield Farm while Webb’s white Ford Transit tipper truck was caught on camera at Clockcase Road.
Court Fines And Legal Costs
King’s Lynn magistrates fined 42-year-old Simper £200 plus £1,701.08 in costs and a £108 victim surcharge after she failed to name the driver of her vehicle. Norwich magistrates also fined Webb £200, with £850 in costs and an £80 victim surcharge, following his guilty plea. Both failed to respond to official notices requiring driver details.
Longstanding Surveillance Operation
The Environment Agency has monitored both Kenfield Farm and Clockcase Road since 2018 due to persistent illegal waste dumping. Clockcase Road covers 15 hectares near the Great River Ouse, involving farmland and residential areas. Last year, two other local men were also prosecuted for waste dumping in this area.
Environment Agency Crackdown
Enforcement team leader Phil Henderson said,
“We don’t have to prove the identity of the driver to bring prosecutions for waste crime. Vehicles registered to Luke Webb and Rebecca Simper were caught on camera at illegal waste sites. Like others prosecuted last year, they have paid the penalty.”
The agency is increasing drone operations and using new tech to identify waste offences quickly, with harsher penalties, including potential prison for ignoring restriction notices.
Ongoing Legal Actions
Simper and Webb were charged under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 for dumping controlled waste without a permit and for failing to provide driver information. Another man linked to the sites, Danny Thorpe, faces trial for breaching restrictions and pollution offences this November. Residents are urged to report suspected waste crime to the Environment Agency hotline on 0800 807060 or CrimeStoppers on 0800 555111.
