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Too good to be true £20 waste deal costs barber shop owner £2,200 

30 April 2026

A decision to pay someone £20 to remove a substantial amount of waste has ended up costing the owner of a barber shop more than £2,200. 

On Friday 24 April, Andre Niehues, 40, of Thomas Street, Swindon, was sentenced after pleading guilty at Reading Magistrates’ Court to failing to comply with his duty of care for commercial waste. 

Vale of White Horse District Council prosecuted Mr Niehues after waste was found fly‑tipped in the countryside on Snowswick Lane, Buscot, on 7 May 2025. An Environmental Enforcement Officer who attended the site recovered evidence linking the dumped waste to his address.

A wide shot of a fly-tipping incident on a rural gravel turnout next to a metal gate and green fields. A large pile of rubbish, including broken white furniture, cardboard boxes, plastic bags, and dozens of plastic bottles containing amber liquid, is cordoned off with yellow "FLY TIPPING UNDER INVESTIGATION" tape. A yellow witness appeal sign is prominently displayed on the right.

 

When interviewed under caution on 12 June 2025, Mr Niehues stated that he ran a barber shop with a flat above the premises. He explained that he had paid an unknown man £20 to remove domestic and business waste from overflowing bins located at the rear of the shop. The waste included plastic bags containing rubbish and cardboard boxes.  

However, he admitted that he did not check whether the individual was a registered waste carrier and failed to record full contact details or receive any paperwork, such as a waste transfer note. The only detail he was able to provide was a first name and a phone number which was found to be disconnected. 

Despite attempts to trace the other person involved, the council was unable to identify them. Mr Niehues was therefore prosecuted for failing to carry out basic waste checks. 

After Mr Niehues entered guilty pleas to four duty of care offences, Magistrates imposed a £500 fine, ordered him to pay a £200 victim surcharge and £1,535.10 in costs, totalling £2,235.10. 

Cllr Robert Clegg, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, Climate Action and Nature Recovery, at Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “If the amount being charged for waste disposal looks too good to be true then it almost certainly is.  This case clearly demonstrates that passing waste to someone else does not remove your legal responsibility. If businesses don’t carry out the basic checks, they risk a significant fine and costs.  

“We urge all business owners to protect themselves and the environment by following their duty of care.” 

Vale of White Horse District Council reminds businesses that they remain legally responsible for their waste, even if they pay someone else to remove it.  All businesses must: 

  • Check that anyone taking their waste is a registered waste carrier 
  • Obtain full details of who is removing it 
  • Keep correct paperwork, such as a waste transfer note 
  • Where possible, record the registration number of the vehicle collecting the waste 

Failing to take these simple steps can lead to prosecution and significant financial penalties if waste is dumped illegally.