Release Date: 26/06/2012

Barnes restaurant owner fined for dumping waste

The proprietor of a Lebanese restaurant has been ordered to pay £1,515 for repeatedly fly-tipping bags of old food.

Richmond Magistrates Court heard Juliano Salha, owner of Baytys in Barnes, discarded numerous bags of restaurant waste next to recycling bins in East Sheen. Salha was convicted of five offences under The Enviromental Protection Act, in his absence at court, following a prosecution by Richmond Council.

Last year a Council Street Environment Inspector found receipts and invoices from the restaurant inside with the bags, along with food waste and bottles. Checks established the restaurant’s commercial waste contract had been suspended a month earlier due to non-payment of bills. The Council sent letters to the restaurant requesting contact, but received no reply and bags were discarded on another four occasions. He was issued with a fixed penalty. But when he failed to pay the Council launched court proceedings. Magistrates ordered Salha to pay a fine of £750, plus £750 costs and £15 Victim Surcharge.

Councillor Virginia Morris, Richmond Council’s Strategic Cabinet Member for Environment, Planning, Parks and Highways said: “Fly tipping is irresponsible, inconsiderate and blights our public spaces. We will not stand for it and I hope this prosecution sends out a strong message that it will not be tolerated.

“We gave the owner of the restaurant plenty of opportunities to co-operate and do the right thing. But in the end we were left with no choice but to prosecute. People need to dispose of their waste appropriately and we provide a good framework which enables everyone to do so, so really there is no excuse.”