A couple going out for a meal illegally dumped a wardrobe on the way because their car felt 'overloaded'.

Daniel George McCaghrey, 29 and Jemma Porter, 28 of Fayne Way, Maidenhead were ordered to pay £400 each in fines for fly-tipping in Bracknell Forest.

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The pair were convicted at Reading Magistrates' Court on Friday, October 23, after pleading guilty to having illegally dumped a wardrobe in Malt Hill, Warfield, Bracknell.

It comes after a member of public tending a field off of Malt Hill spotted Mr McCaghrey standing by a car parked by the fields entrance at about 7.30pm in December 20, last year.

The passerby left for about five minutes before returning and spotting a dumped broken up wooden cupboard.

Ms Porter was in the drivers seat during the incident.

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Accepting guilt, the couple explained they had loaded the vehicle with the intent of taking it to the local waste centre the next day.

But they had gone out for a meal and while driving, they felt the car was overloaded so they decided to offload the wardrobe in a field.

The pair were prosecuted following an investigation by officers from the Council’s Shared Public Protection Partnership (PPP) supported by the PPP Joint Case Management Unit.

They were each ordered to pay £400 in fines, £100 compensation in clean-up costs, a victim’s surcharge of £40 and costs of £405.

Councillor John Harrison, Executive Member for Culture Delivery and Public Protection at Bracknell Forest Council as well as Vice Chair of the Joint Public Protection Committee, said: "Fly-tipping is a significant issue in the Borough. This sentence sends the message that if caught you may not just end up with a criminal conviction but a significant financial penalty.

"I would ask anyone who has information that may lead to the identification of those involved in this crime to contact out Public Protection Service”