FIFTEEN bags of rubbish cost a man £1,000 after he was caught dumping them in the park.

Ciprian Nechita, of Forest Gate, was forced to cough up the cash after he dumped the rubbish on Wanstead Flats last year.

He and his co-defendant Vasile Bilibou, of Plaistow, were arrested after they failed to appear in court in September.

Bilibou was convicted at Thames Magistrates Court on January 6 and was landed with an even bigger bill than his partner, totalling £1,242.

Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Epping Forest committee Philip Woodhouse said: "We take it very seriously when people’s rubbish ends up being dumped in and around Epping Forest.

"Not only is it unsightly and dangerous but it causes damage to the environment as well.

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

The City of London deal with over 600 fly-tips a year across Epping Forest, which have been known to include a live cat, several dogs and a dead donkey.