FLYTIPPERS have been warned they face tough sentences by York's top judge - as he jailed a man who repeatedly dumped rubbish in residential parts of the city.

The Honorary Recorder of York, Judge Paul Batty QC, heard that William Eric Pipes, 38, made money by collecting builders’ rubbish, some of which had sharp edges, and dumping it - including a bag of broken tiles near a children’s play area.

“The fact was, you were dumping wherever you thought you could get away with it,” the judge said at York Crown Court. “It did pose, in my judgement, a real risk to the residents of York.”

Passing a nine-month sentence, he said: “There has necessarily to be an element of deterrence for this type of wholly anti-social behaviour.

“There is far too much flytipping and in my judgement, the courts have to indicate it simply will not be tolerated and will be viewed extremely seriously.”

Pipes, of Danebury Drive, Acomb, pleaded guilty to 19 charges relating to flytipping and waste disposal and was jailed for nine months. His van was confiscated.

For him, Alex Williams said Pipes had expressed remorse and apologised.

After the case, City of York Council revealed it had received 13 reports of flytipping in York in February and March this year, including rubbish dumped on a private drive. Pipes had been photographed on four occasions dumping large amounts of rubbish in March and April.

Cllr Andrew Waller, the council’s environment executive member, said anyone hiring someone to take their waste should check they were registered.