Rubbish collector who dumped waste near Abingdon Lock given 120 hours’ unpaid work
Published 9 November 2026
A man who was paid to take away rubbish, only to dump it less than two miles down the road, has been ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work and pay more than £1,600 following a successful prosecution by South Oxfordshire District Council.
On Friday 30 October, at Reading Magistrates’ Court, Khalil Jalalzai, 22, of Nibthwaite Road, Harrow, who traded as KJ Construction, was sentenced for two offences of unlawfully depositing waste under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. He had pleaded guilty to both charges at an earlier hearing in August.
Magistrates heard how, in March 2025, a resident of Ock Street, Abingdon, found Jalalzai through an advert on the MyBuilder website and paid him £170 to clear waste from their home. Jalalzai falsely told the resident his business was a registered limited company, making it seem more established and trustworthy than it was.
After loading the waste into his vehicle, he drove less than two miles before dumping it in two places: on the access road to Abingdon Lock and in Rye Farm car park.
South Oxfordshire District Council’s Envirocrime Team found details of the Abingdon address among the dumped waste. The resident had kept written records of the arrangement and shared them with the council, which allowed officers to trace Jalalzai.
In sentencing, magistrates said his actions were deliberate, carried out at two locations and for financial gain. Taking his early guilty plea and limited means into account, they imposed the following:
- a 12-month community order, including 120 hours of unpaid work
- a victim surcharge of £114
- a contribution of £1500 towards the council’s prosecution costs
Sue Cooper, South Oxfordshire District Council’s Cabinet Member for the Environment, said: “This resident did the right thing by keeping a record of who took their rubbish away, which helped us bring this case to court.
“If you’re paying someone to take your rubbish away, you must always ask to see their waste carrier licence. Registered carriers are legally required to dispose of waste properly, and a licence number means we can trace anyone who doesn’t. We will continue to track down and prosecute anyone who dumps waste in South Oxfordshire.”
Paying someone to take your rubbish away?
Householders have a legal duty to make sure their waste is disposed of properly. Before you hand over your rubbish, check the person or business is a registered waste carrier on the Environment Agency’s public register. If you don’t check and your waste ends up fly-tipped, you could be held liable and fined.
Find out more about how to stay legal if you pay someone to get rid of rubbish, or report fly-tipping.
