A removals firm has been ordered to pay more than £7,000 after they fly-tipped rubbish from a shop clearance onto a country road.

Nastasia Ltd illegally dumped items including broken plastic chairs, stepladders, cardboard boxes and packaging in Revel End Lane, near Redbourn.

They were successfully prosecuted by St Albans City and District Council, who had investigated the incident. 

General Enforcement Officers examined the contents of the rubbish and were able to trace it back to a jeweller in London.

Upon making enquiries, they found that the jeweller had hired Nastasia, who are based in Watford, to transport furniture and that they had offered to remove the waste too for an extra fee.

But instead of getting rid of the material properly at a waste and recycling centre, Nastasia dumped it instead.

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George Nastasia, director of the company, was interviewed under caution by a council officer and admitted to the offence.

His company was fined £3,333 by St Albans Magistrates' Court, and was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £1,333 and a contribution to the council's costs of £2,473.50 - a total of £7,139.50

Mr Nastasia admitted that his firm did not have a waste carrier licence, and blamed the fly-tipping on a new employee. He was unable to provide any contact details for the employee, who he said had been sacked for unrelated reasons.

Mr Nastasia earned up to £3,000 a month from his man-with-a-van firm and agreed to pay the fines and costs at a rate of up to £300 a month.

Councillor Helen Campbell, chair of the council's Public Realm Committee, said after the court hearing: “This is the second successful prosecution we have undertaken in the past few weeks for fly-tipping.

“It shows that we are determined to act against fly-tippers despite the challenges involved in tracking down the perpetrators.

“Fly-tips are an eyesore, a health hazard and a major concern for many of our residents such as farmers or other landowners who are often the victims of illegal dumps.

“The firm in this case has been hit hard with penalties of more than £7,000 and I hope that will act as a deterrent to anyone else thinking of carrying out such an offence.”