Two people from Wisbech have been fined over £1,500 after dumping rubbish – including 12 boxes of cigarette packaging – in Gorefield.

Ronalds Krauklis and Solvita Stefane appeared at Peterborough Magistrates Court last week after they were found to have dumped three black bags, 12 cardboard boxes full of cigarette packaging, a blow-up mattress, a children’s toy steering wheel and a pair of binoculars at Willow Holt Pumping Station in October last year.

Krauklis pleaded guilty to dumping the waste and Stefane admitted knowingly causing it to be dumped. They were fined £788 and £685 respectively.

The verdict comes after Fenland District Council was made aware of the dumping by chief executive of the North Level District Internal Draining Board, Paul Sharman.

He told the council that the waste had been dumped on at least two separate occasions and his staff at the pumping station had collected it and stored it.

Krauklis was later interviewed by council officers and confirmed he had disposed of the waste at the station.

Councillor Peter Murphy, the council’s Cabinet member responsible for the environment, said: “We’re very pleased to have secured two more convictions. Flytipping remains a widespread problem but it is one where it is very hard to catch offenders red-handed.

“To tackle it successfully we need people to report any incidents and help us to gather the necessary evidence to enable us to secure convictions, as has happened in this case.”

Mr Sharman said: “On behalf of the North Level District Internal Drainage Board I would like to thank Fenland District Council’s officers for their efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.

“Flytipping is the scourge of the countryside, causing unnecessary expense to both landowners and public authorities alike. It is extremely pleasing to see such a positive result and hopefully this will act as a real deterrent to others.”