A restaurant owner has been ordered to pay more than £3,000 after his building rubbish was fly-tipped.

Samee Ullah, 36, was prosecuted by Epping Forest District Council for a waste duty of care offence after the fly-tip in Sewardstone Road, Waltham Abbey.

Mr Ullah, who co-owns Director’s Cut in High Street, Walthamstow, was found guilty at court in April and fined £1,200, ordered to pay £1,987 costs and a victim surcharge of £120.

He was prosecuted after people living near Sewardstone Road reported the large amounts of fly-tipping to the council and an invoice addressed to Mr Ullah was found among the rubbish.

Mr Ullah admitted he had organised removal of the construction waste with someone who was unlicensed, failing to keep a waste transfer note.

Cllr Will Breare-Hall, council environment portfolio holder, said: “This case only emphasises how important it is for businesses to acknowledge their duty of care when arranging for the disposal of their waste.

“You may not be directly responsible for fly-tipping, but you may be held accountable for not making the necessary checks.”