Fly-tipper caught on CCTV dressed in dinosaur costume

A fly-tipper has been caught dumping bags of rubbish in Southend-on-Sea wearing a rather unusual disguise to avoid being fined – a purple blow-up dinosaur costume.

The raptor was filmed waddling across a residential road, dumping two black bin bags next to a wheelie bin and then fleeing the scene, but not before brazenly swinging around a lamppost.

The clip was originally posted by Your Southend, which says it was sent the footage by the homeowner who discovered the unwelcome rubbish outside his property.

The incident, which was captured on 47-year-old Carmine Rizzo’s front doorbell camera at around 9.30pm on Wednesday, has prompted an appeal for information.

“I couldn’t believe my eyes! It was the night before bin day too,” Rizzo told Your Southend.

“Clearly he is struggling with the new bin rules!”

The T Rex disguise meant the perpetrator has so far managed to avoid the £400 fine that Southend-on-Sea City Council would normally issue to fly-tippers.

The Essex city introduced new rubbish collection measures in October in an attempt to clean up streets and encourage more residents to recycle.

The changes were met with opposition from some residents who did not welcome the introduction of new wheelie bins, which replaced refuse sacks left on the street.