A couple have been handed a 22 month suspended prison sentence between them for their involvement in a flytipping spree which left taxpayers with a £5,000 clean-up bill.

Daniel Duncan, 24, of Pyrcroft Court, Pyrcroft Road, Chertsey was given a 12 month prison sentence suspended for 18 months and ordered on a 15 day drug rehabilitation course at St Albans Crown Court on Friday. His partner, Kelly-Jane Marle, 28, was sentenced to 10 months suspended for 18 months, ordered to pay £100 compensation and given a 30 day supervision order.

They were both also ordered to pay £600 in prosecution costs and a £100 victim surcharge. The pair both pleaded guilty to one count each of illegally depositing controlled waste when they appeared in court at an earlier hearing. Duncan also admitted seven counts of failing in his duty of care when handling controlled waste and Marle one count.

Evidence within the waste revealed it came from a property in Hutton Lane, Harrow. According to the owner, a mobile number linked to Marle was used to arrange collection.

Two days later, more waste was discovered at the same spot. It was traced to a property in Wentworth Road, Barnet. The same mobile number was mentioned by the owner.

The case was brought by Hertsmere Borough Council after Hilfield Lane South, in Bushey, was targeted by flytippers 10 times in less than three weeks. Mattresses, piles of rubble, bricks, windows, doors, timber, furniture and toys were dumped in the lane on multiple occasions between February 11 and 26 last year. At one point five separate piles of rubbish were found in the lane. Hertfordshire County Council, which is responsible for maintaining the road, said it cost £5370 to clear.

Hertsmere Borough cllr Seamus Quilty said: “The couple in this case showed absolute disregard for residents, other road users, the environment and the wider community, who have had to foot the bill for their criminal activity.

“They thought they could earn a quick buck by flouting the law. Time and time again they arranged to pick up waste from residential building sites but instead of disposing of it responsibly, they dumped it and pocketed the cash.

“This successful prosecution is down to the hard work of our environmental health team, along with their colleagues in Hertfordshire Constabulary, who were quick to respond and, through their thorough investigative work, swiftly identified the culprits.

“We cannot guarantee this kind of thing will not happen in the future but we hope this case serves as a warning to flytippers and as a reminder to homeowners and builders of the importance of using a licensed waste carrier when getting rid of unwanted items or building waste.”

Environmental health officers were first called to Hilfield Lane South on February 12 after waste was dumped the evening before. CCTV footage showed an unregistered Ford Transit tipper truck, insured to Marle, at the scene.

Hilfield Lane South was targeted again on February 23 and five times on February 26. On each occasion the truck was caught on camera at the scene. A further flytipping incident took place in the lane overnight between February 29 and March 1, but it was not recorded.

Marle and Duncan were eventually arrested after they were stopped driving the same tipper truck in Heathbourne Road, Bushey, on March 1 last year.

The vehicle, which was loaded with waste removed from a property in Harrow earlier that day, was later destroyed by the council under new legislation for dealing with seized property.