A “lazy” fly-tipper has been fined £1,000 for dumping a mattress in a Wiltshire layby.

In May a fly-tipped mattress in a layby off Bells Lane, at Zeals near Mere, was reported to Wiltshire Council by a member of the public who witnessed it being dumped.

The perpetrator, a Zeals resident, was formally interviewed under caution and admitted to the offence, saying they didn’t have time to take the item to a recycling centre.

They were slapped with a £1,000 fixed penalty notice after the punishment for fly-tipping was raised from £400 earlier this year.

(Image: Wiltshire Council)

The witness received a reward under the council’s We're Targeting Fly-tippers campaign, which allows those who report fly-tipping to claim up to £200 in High Street vouchers if the information leads to successful prosecution or the payment of a fixed penalty notice.

Cllr Nick Holder, cabinet member for highways, street scene, and flooding, said: “I'd like to thank the resident for reporting the dumped waste to us, as this allowed our officers to investigate and take action.

“There is no excuse to fly-tip in our beautiful county and we will continue our zero-tolerance approach towards this unsightly act.

“The laziness of this person cost them £1,000 and we will continue to target people who commit this environmental crime.”