Illegal back street tip in Preston is shut down

This is the state the tip was left in by the firm

An illegal tip being run in a Preston back street has seen three people in court to face charges.

The Kaymar Industrial site off Clitheroe Street in Fishwick saw 30 tonnes of wasted dumped there.

Preston City Council officers investigated the illegal waste site.

Rubbish was being stored in an unsafe manner and there were regular reports of waste being burned close to nearby homes.

Proud Preston Skips were found to be operating the site and city council environment officers linked the business to a number of fly-tipping offences in the city.

The waste site was operating without a licence

The Clitheroe Street site was shut down in February last year, but the firm moved to operating to land close to the former Shawes Arms pub in London Road.

Enforcement officers seized the firm’s skip lorry in April last year.

Tony Thorpe, Stuart Billington and Benjamin Christopher Thompson – directors of the firm – all appeared at Preston Magistrates Court on Friday 22 September to face charges.

Here’s the charges each of them faced and their sentences:

Tony Thorpe: Charges one, two and five – 12 months community order on each concurrent and he was ordered to undertake 180 hours unpaid work (reduced from 270 hours for his early guilty plea). No separate penalty was imposed for Charge 4. In addition, he was ordered to pay £700 compensation to the owner of the Kaymar Site and £33 to the council. He was also ordered to pay £250 towards the prosecution costs and £85 victims’ surcharge. Thereby making a total of £1,068.

Stuart Billington: Charge one – 24 weeks imprisonment suspended for 2 years (reduced from 26 weeks to reflect his guilty plea on the day of the trial) and a requirement to undertake 150 hours unpaid work. In addition, he was ordered to pay £700 compensation to the owner of the Kaymar Site and £33 to the council. He was also ordered to pay £250 towards the prosecution costs and £115 victims’ surcharge. Thereby making a total of £1,098.

Benjamin Christopher Thompson: Charge two – 18 weeks imprisonment (reduced from 26 weeks for his early guilty plea) suspended for 2 years and a requirement to undertake 100 hours unpaid work. No separate penalty was imposed for Charge 4. In addition, he was ordered to pay £700 compensation to the owner of the Kaymar site and £33 to the council. He was also ordered to pay £250 towards the prosecution costs and £115 victims’ surcharge. Thereby making a total of £1,098.

What did the city council say?

Cabinet member for community and environment councillor Robert Boswell said: “The Magistrates in this case echoed the council’s views that these were serious offences committed with no regard for the environmental consequences.

“Fly-tipping has an impact on wildlife, the environment and the whole community, along with council tax payers in the cost of clearing it up.

“The amount that we spend on clearing fly-tipping each year is up to £500,000.”

Is fly-tipping a problem near you? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below