.jpg "Image illustrating Fletcher does porridge")
A 25 year-old man who repeatedly committed waste offences has been sent to prison for a year.
Luton Crown Court heard how Nicolas Fletcher, trading as Dunstable Skip Hire and Luton Skip hire, had brought significant amounts of waste onto two sites at Bedford over a period of two years.
Mrs Anne-Lise McDonald, prosecuting for the Environment Agency, said the sites did not have the appropriate infrastructure to deal with the waste and Fletcher saved about £85,000 by operating illegally. She said Fletcher operated from Leagrave Station Car Park, Luton, for at least three months before being evicted by the land owner, leaving much of the waste on-site.
At one time, there were 41 skips at another site in Clophill Road, Bedfordshire, 36 of which contained building and household waste. There were also a number of hazardous waste items including lead batteries, cathode ray tubes, fridges, gas cylinders and material that commonly contains asbestos – none of which was kept securely. Other waste, rubble and electrical equipment was piled on the ground.
Fletcher had been served a statutory notice to remove the waste from site by 8 March 2012 but he failed to do so.
The court was told that Fletcher had previous environmental convictions for the same type of offences and his waste carrier’s licence had been revoked in 2011 as a result. Within days of committal to the crown court for sentencing and proceeds of crime proceedings, Fletcher continued to offend on the Clophill Road site. Covert surveillance showed him taking empty skips to customers, bringing full skips back, tipping them and other full skips of waste on the ground. Fletcher was also seen sorting through and burning the waste.
Mrs McDonald said burning this type of waste would never be permitted as the smoke and fumes would be likely to contain toxic and harmful substances. Smoke would also cause a nuisance to people living nearby.
Judge Kay said Fletcher had, "An astonishing record of flouting the law and has shown no remorse." He said his actions were deliberate and financially motivated. A hearing to deal with a proceeds of crime application has been adjourned to next year.
After the hearing Environment Agency officer Sarah Melvin said, "These are serious crimes that undermine legal businesses, cause damage to our environment and potentially endanger people's health. We have the expertise and legal powers to tackle environmental crime, offenders should be aware that they can't continue to break the law without there being consequences."
For more information, see the:
