Man sentenced after dumping household waste in Kings Somborne
A man has been ordered to complete unpaid work and pay more than £1,000 after admitting to dumping household waste along a rural lane in Kings Somborne.
Around 26 May 2024, the council received reports about a fly-tip across a number of locations on Eldon Road, which consisted of bagged and loose household waste.
Evidence within the waste led officers to a resident who informed the council she had paid Leighton Smith, 22, of Southampton, to remove her rubbish.
Appearing at Southampton Magistrates Court on 21 January 2026, Smith received a 12‑month community order, requiring him to complete ten rehabilitation activity requirement days and 80 hours of unpaid work. He must also pay £950 in costs and a £114 victim surcharge, totalling £1,064.
Councillor David Drew, portfolio holder for recycling and environmental services at Test Valley Borough Council, said: “Fly-tipping damages our borough and our natural spaces. It leaves a mess behind, wastes public money, and it has no place in our communities. We’ll carry on taking firm action against anyone who chooses to dump waste here.
“It’s also important residents know who is taking their waste away and where it is going, if they are paying somebody to do so. You also have a duty of care to check they are licensed before they take the waste away or you could also face a punishment.”
Residents can report fly tipping online at www.testvalley.gov.uk/fly-tipping.