A 49-YEAR-OLD man had to cough up £650 after he admitted leaving bags of rubbish on Wanstead Flats.

Vijay Lakhani, of St George’s Road, Forest Gate, pleaded guilty to fly-tipping at Thames Magistrates Court on Thursday (September 29).

Lakhani dumped five large bags of rubbish on the Flats on April 20, but was brought justice after a City of London Corporation (CoLC) forest keeper reported them.

CoLC’s head keeper for Epping Forest Martin Newnham said: "Fly tipping is completely unacceptable and we take a zero-tolerance approach to it.

"It is unsightly, dangerous and damaging to the environment.

"Our job is to protect Epping Forest and we will prosecute anyone found to be carrying out this sort of illegal activity."

CoLC gives out £500 rewards for anyone who helps successfully prosecute fly-tippers across Wanstead Flats, Wanstead Park and Epping Forest.

Lakhani’s five bags of waste add to the list of 600 fly-tips in Epping Forest every year, which have included someone leaving a live cat and a dead donkey on CoLC land.