The sea might not have washed it up, but the result was the same for residents who found a speedboat flytipped in their road.
The tattered red and black vessel was abandoned on a trailer in Ilford.
They alerted Redbridge Council’s enforcement team who traced it back to an address less than five miles away – and the owner was fined £400 after being interviewed under caution.
He had paid someone he had found on the internet to dispose of the boat.
But because the rubbish collector was not registered to carry out the service, when they dumped the boat in Winchester Road the owner became liable for the flytipping.
He was handed an on-the-spot fine last month under powers given to councils to make prosecuting flytipping easier.
Councillor Sheila Bain, Cabinet Member for Civic Pride, said, “It doesn’t matter if it’s a boat or a black bag, if you dump rubbish in Redbridge you’re asking for a fine.
“When you pay someone to take rubbish away for you it’s your responsibility to ensure they’re fully registered to do so. If you don’t check you’re gambling with your own money.”
The council has handed out more than £110,000 in fines since launching a crackdown in October.
