A MAN who dumped furniture on the roadside has become the first fly-tipper in Oxfordshire to be prosecuted using evidence from hidden CCTV cameras.

Martin Ponting, 43, of Bow Bank, Longworth, appeared at Didcot Magistrates' Court this week where he pleaded guilty to dumping a wardrobe on land at Draycott Road, Southmoor, in July last year.

He was just six-miles away from Stanford in the Vale recycling centre, where he could have dumped the wardrobe for free.

The court was shown footage of Ponting's blue Ford Escort van reversing into a muddy drive and then unloading his wardrobe. Less than 25 seconds later, he sped off.

The prosecution was brought jointly by Oxfordshire County Council and the Vale of White Horse District Council.

Mr Ponting, who is currently unemployed, was fined £100 and ordered to pay £600 towards the district council's costs. Magistrates also told Mr Ponting that because he had used a vehicle to carry out the offence they had considered the option of disqualifying him from driving. Both the county and district councils said after the hearing that the case sent out a strong message that fly-tipping would not be tolerated.

Tony de Vere, executive member on the Vale council with responsibility for waste management, said: "Fly-tippers think they are safe from prying eyes because they chose isolated spots. This case proves they will never know who is watching and that sneaking about in the small hours won't save them."

Mark Leonard, Oxfordshire County Council's waste enforcement officer, said: "This prosecution sends a very strong message to those that cannot be bothered to use recycling centres and think they can turn the countryside into a private dump and expect taxpayers to clear up the mess.

"The waste recycling centre at Stanford in the Vale is only six miles away from where this wardrobe was dumped. It is unbelievable that anyone could be so thoughtless."

Last year, 5,910 fly-tipping incidents were recorded across Oxfordshire. They are estimated to have cost £283,742 to clear.

Fly-tipping prosecutions can result in 12 months in jail or a fine of up to £50,000, or both.