Illegal landfill site owner gets £100,000 fine

A landowner in Cheshire has been given a suspended 12-month prison sentence and ordered to pay £100,000 in costs to the Environment Agency after being found to be illegally landfilling thousands of tonnes of waste.

Eric Hale was additionally banned from driving and a curfew was imposed on him.

Two other individuals, Stefan Street and Dennis Whiting, were handed conditional discharges after the investigation witnessed all three men driving large waste vehicles to deposit waste on the site in Frodsham.

The illegal deposits included mixed waste, demolition waste such as plasterboard, and other waste including carpets and mattresses.

The Environment Agency commented on the investigation and subsequent sentencing of the three men, stating that it “worked closely with the police and local authorities to pursue these criminals and bring them to justice”.

It added: “Waste crime is a serious issue, diverting as much as £1bn per year from legitimate business and the Treasury.”

Image credit: Alamy