West Ham’s star striker Frederic Piquionne found himself tackled by environment watchdogs after dumping his rubbish on a grass verge.
The French international fly-tipped 10 black bin-bags, two recycling bags and a cardboard box about three miles from his home in Stapleford Abbotts, Essex.
And at Harlow Magistrates Court where he admitted illegal dumping waste he was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay �499 prosecution costs.
Investigators from Epping Forest district council traced the waste back to the �40,000-a-week footballer following after being alerted by residents of Stapleford Tawney, the court heard.
Magistrates were told that 32-year-old Piquionne, who left his rubbish by a wheelie-bin, may have been confused by the British system of waste disposal compared with France.
Epping Council said the case showed that “your waste is your responsibility”.
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