A man who dumped the remains of a cannabis factory at a Huddersfield fly-tipping hotspot was caught red-handed by hidden CCTV.

Naveed Mohammed, of Doncaster, was ordered to pay almost £3,000 in fines and costs by Kirklees magistrates.

Kirklees Council’s clean-up team was called to reports of waste having been dumped in South Cross Road. There they found waste that would be used in the production of cannabis such as soil and fertilisers and lighting and ventilation equipment. A lot of the waste was in distinctive heavyweight green plastic bags.

South Cross Road had been a fly-tipping hotspot for some time, so the council had installed a hidden CCTV camera.

Despite signs clearly explaining that the area was under surveillance, a short while after the installation a fly-tipper was caught on camera.

When the footage was downloaded it showed items, including the distinctive green bags, being taken from a Ford Transit van, and launched onto the banking off South Cross Road in the exact location of the reported dumpings.

Enquiries into the number plate of the vehicle showed that it had been hired in Huddersfield, from where officers obtained Mohammed’s name and address.

Although Mohammed failed to attend court on numerous occasions, he was found guilty in his absence, finally arrested on a warrant, and brought to Kirklees Magistrates’ Court in Huddersfield for sentencing.

He was fined £1,754, with a victim surcharge of £175 and was ordered to pay clearance and legal costs of £900.

Clr Naheed Mather, Cabinet member for the environment, said: “It is quite remarkable that people think they can drive into Kirklees and dump their rubbish here and get away with it.

“Fly-tippers need to understand that we have a very proactive team of officers who are using a variety of techniques to identify and prosecute criminals such as Mr Mohammed.

“If we find you dumping rubbish in our district, no matter where you live, we will do all in our power to track you down and make you pay.”

Anyone spotting fly-tipping or wanting to report an incident to the council can do so at www.kirklees.gov.uk/flytipping