A Brackley haulier and a self-employed driver from Milton Keynes were both fined today (10 August) for illegally dumping around 50 lorry loads of waste into a disused railway line in farmland at Cockley Brake near Farthinghoe, Northants.
Richard Haynes, of Fulwell Road, Westbury, Brackley admitted to illegally dumping 20 lorry loads of waste and allowing his vehicle to be used to dump another 30 loads. Brian Macaulay, of Talland Avenue, Fishermaid, Milton Keynes, admitted to being the driver of Mr Haynes' vehicle used to dump the 30 loads of waste and was also convicted.
The Environment Agency was alerted to the case on 28 May 2004 after receiving a report from a member of the public who saw a lorry containing what was thought to be waste enter a farm gate at Cockley Brake, between Farthinghoe and Marston St Lawrence. When environment officers inspected the site they found that a large amount of waste, predominantly soil and clean stone, was being used to fill in a disused railway cutting and found substantial amounts of plastic, metals, bricks and concrete embedded within the waste.
Conservation officers noted that the waste and soils seriously threatened a number of trees with around 30 mature trees, including three more than 100 years old, being damaged.
>From the witness description of the lorry seen entering the farm,
>investigating officers were able to trace the vehicle back to Mr Haynes
>who admitted to dumping around 20 lorry loads of waste at the site. He
>said he had also employed Mr Macaulay to drive one of his lorries to
>dispose of a further 30 loads.
Mr Haynes admitted that he had never passed on any paperwork on to the landowners, or checked whether the site had a waste management licence, despite the fact that he was a registered waste carrier.
Barry Russell, an environment manger with the Environment Agency said: "This waste should have been disposed of at a properly managed site with a waste management licence. As groundworks contractors and registered waste carriers, Mr Haynes and Mr Macaulay should have been aware they were committing an illegal act.
"People should also make sure that they use registered waste carriers to remove their waste and ensure it is taken to a properly licensed site for disposal."
Mr Haynes pleaded guilty to two counts under s.33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and was fined £2,500 for each charge and was ordered to pay £3,200 in costs. Mr Macaulay also pleaded guilty to one charge under s.33 of the Act and was fined £500 with £500 costs.
Members of the public can report environmental crime and incidents to the Environment Agency by calling freephone 0800 80 70 60.
