A BURY man was handed a £1,000 bill for fly-tipping after a year-long investigation.

Vigilant employees at Six Town Housing reported waste which had been dumped on Gypsy Brook Nature Reserve to their environmental health officer in March 2016.

Correspondence found in the rubbish enabled them to trace the waste to John Taban, aged 37, of Kestrel Drive, Bury.

Taban pleaded guilty to two counts of fly-tipping and Manchester Magistrates Court on July 27, which fined him £200 and ordered him to pay costs of £725 and a £30 victim surcharge.

A Bury Council spokesman said: “We hope that this fine will be a deterrent to those tempted to fly-tip.

Residents and businesses should dispose of their waste in their bins, take it to a municipal waste disposal site or employ a licensed waste carrier.

"Gypsy Brook is a nice green area sadly spoiled by fly-tipping, and we will continue to take action against those who blight our environment."

Anyone who witnesses fly-tipping can report it at www.bury.gov.uk