A man has been fined more than £2,000 after a rubbish-filled caravan was abandoned in a street.

Craig Friston, from Felixstowe, appeared at Suffolk Magistrates' Court on Monday, September 26 where he was found guilty of abandoning the caravan in land off Reedland Way in Felixstowe.

On October 20, 2021, East Suffolk Council first received reports of the abandoned caravan.

A site visit was carried out the next day and the caravan, which was in poor condition, was found to be filled with rubbish.

Waste was also on the ground surrounding it.

It was then discovered the caravan had been abandoned by Friston and on December 6, Craig and Samantha Friston were sent notices to remove the caravan within seven days.

The caravan was not removed and in January the caravan and waste, which included a double mattress, was removed by East Suffolk Council from Reedland Way.

In total, the council removed 1,520kg of waste from inside and around the caravan.

Some of the waste showed Friston’s name and the names of family members.

James Mallinder, East Suffolk Council's cabinet member for the environment, said: “As well as being unsightly, abandoned vehicles are a safety hazard and a nuisance to other residents and should always be disposed of properly.

"Caravans in good condition can be sold or even donated, and those in poor condition can be removed by a specialist company.

“There is absolutely no excuse for shamelessly dumping a caravan in a residential street for someone else to clear away, and to then fill it with piles of rubbish is simply unacceptable.”

Friston did not attend sentencing and the court found him guilty in his absence, fining him £660 for the offence, £66 for the victim surcharge and £1,380 in costs, totalling £2,106.