Two people have been fined £600 after tipping rubbish by the roadside.
One asked the other if they could shift the waste in his trailer.
But instead of taking the rubbish to a nearby recycling centre the driver tipped it in a lay-by near Normanshill Wood, in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.
Ashfield District Council (ADC) investigated the illegal tipping and sifted through the rubbish.
They came up with the name and address of the person who’d employed the removal man.
Both were issued with fixed penalty notices.
ADC Councillor Jason Zadrozny said:
“We hope that this sends a clear message to residents from across the county and beyond that we will not hesitate to take strong action where we find fly-tipping.
“Residents have a responsibility to check whether people collecting their rubbish have a waste carrier licence.
“In this case, the resident failed to do so – and that has cost them a small fortune.”
Mr Zadrozny thanked his council’s community protection team who carried out the investigation.
“Over the last year, they have really stepped up in the fight to make Ashfield safer and greener,” he said.