TWO men have been ordered to pay more than £6,000 between them after a caravan was unlawfully dumped.

Jason Stone and Jerry Mukoyi were found to be responsible after the vehicle was left along Hackleys Lane, Wellow, in summer last year.

Test Valley Borough Council launched an investigation, which found a resident had employed Mr Stone’s business, ‘Scrap my Caravan’, and paid Mr Mukoyi to collect the mobile home from an address in Chandler’s Ford.

But the vehicle towing the caravan was sighted at various locations nearby before the flytip was eventually committed.

Despite multiple requests, Stone failed to attend an interview with council officers. Mr Mukoyi attended, but claimed that he had paid tree surgeons to get rid of the caravan.

No evidence was presented for this and at Southampton Magistrates Court, the pair were made to pay more than £6,000 for various waste offences.

Councillor Nick Adams-King, said: “This is a significant fine for a very large fly-tip and I’m really pleased that the people responsible will now be forced to pay back for what they’ve done.

“Using a business to fly-tip in this case is frankly unbelievable, and shows the importance for residents in doing your part and noting who is collecting your waste, and ensuring they are correctly licensed to do so.

"Sadly, people such as this who abuse the system mean we cannot take everyone’s word in good faith.

“My thanks as usual to the hard work of our environmental service staff and legal teams who do not tire of prosecuting those who think they can flout the law.”

Stone, 40, of Lanfranc Close, Old Sarum, was fined £500, made to pay £572 in costs and a £50 victim surcharge for failing to comply with a S108 notice.

Mr Mukoyi, of Gigant Street, Salisbury, was in control of the waste and was therefore fined £4,000, ordered to pay £722 in costs and a £190 victim surcharge. He was also disqualified from driving for three months.