THREE Swindon men dumped a fireplace because they didn't want to wait in a traffic jam to get to the household waste tip, a court heard.

Michael Rawlins, of Carstairs Avenue, Gary Howells of, Kitchener Street and Antony Blackmore, of Cunningham Road, were caught in the act by Environment Agency surveillance cameras on the Cheney Manor Industrial Estate.

All three pleaded guilty at Swindon Magistrates' Court to dumping the concrete surround and base of a fireplace without any waste management licence.

The fireplace surround and concrete slab could have been deposited free of charge at the Barnfield Civic Amenity Site, a mile away from where it was dumped.

Each was sentenced to pay a fine of £200 and ordered to pay costs of £300 to the Evironment Agency a total of £500 each.

The offence contrary to the Environmental Protection Act 1990 happened on March 14. That month the Environment Agency installed a surveillance camera in the area in response to many incidents of fly-tipping.

The surveillance operation ended on April 3, 2000, and agency officers then viewed the video tapes which showed 19 separate incidents of fly tipping at the location.

The tapes showed that on March 14, at 10am, a van reversed into a lay-by. Three men got out and lifted a concrete fire surround and a large concrete slab from the back of the vehicle and put them on the ground. The three offenders then got back in the van and left.

Magistrates heard the owner of the van confirmed that on the day in question it was used by the three defendants, who were employed to carry out scaffolding contracting.

They were not authorised to use the vehicle for any tasks other than those involved in the transport of scaffolding.

Agency officers interviewed Rawlins under caution, the court heard.

He initially denied being involved in the fly-tipping on March 14 but was shown still photographs taken from the video.

When asked to identify himself on the photos he admitted it was him, the court heard. When asked about the fireplace surround he said he couldn't remember where it came from.

Rawlins identified the other two defendants as also present.

He claimed it was nothing to do with him, that he wasn't paid for it and that he had just been asked to give a hand on the way to a job. Agency officers interviewed Howells and Blackmore separately under caution.

Howells admitted he was involved in the incident, claiming he thought the place was a tip and that there weren't any signs warning against tipping.

He said that the waste was from his house and claimed that they had gone to the household waste tip first but that the traffic queue was halfway down the dual carriageway, which they felt was unreasonable.

He claimed he was sorry, that it wouldn't happen again and that he knew there were more appropriate places to put rubbish.

Blackmore also admitted his involvement in the fly-tipping of the fireplace and confirmed that the waste had come from Howell's property. He said in explanation that he wouldn't be helping his friends out again.

Agency officer Mark Ormrod said: "This case could not have been brought without the use of the hidden camera.

"The Agency was pleased that the magistrates recognised the seriousness of the offence at £1,500 it was an expensive fireplace.

"The investigation was made in partnership with Swindon Council who undertake the clearance of fly-tipped wastes."