Fly-tipper who dumped fridges in city centre fined

A fly-tipper who dumped three fridges on a city centre street has been fined.

Algirdas Bardauskas was caught on CCTV driving a white van into Fold Street, Wolverhampton, where he unloaded two fridges from the back of the vehicle on 3 August 2025.

He then drove away and later reappeared carrying a third appliance, which he left alongside the others before leaving the area.

The 44-year-old, of Chester Street, was fined £738 on Wednesday, having admitted depositing controlled waste under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £295 and costs of £1,793.16 during the hearing at Dudley Magistrates' Court.

City of Wolverhampton Council said the incident was reported by a member of the public and the vehicle's registered keeper was tracked down through DVLA records.

The authority said Bardauskas, who had borrowed the van from its owner, claimed he needed it to be empty for some work he was doing that day.

He said he left the fridges with the intention of collecting them again, the council added, but when he returned a week later, they had gone.

A council spokesperson said Bardauskas had apologised for what he did and told the authority he would accept his punishment.

Councillor Qaiser Azeem said: "Fly-tipping is a blight on our communities and we will not tolerate this kind of irresponsible behaviour in Wolverhampton."

The prosecution came after an extra £257,146 was invested in the council's environmental crime service this year.

The money has paid for more enforcement staff and six security cameras, which have been placed at known fly-tipping hotspots across the city.

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