Risk news

A 250-hour community service order for 12 months has been imposed on a man who kept dismantled scrap vehicles in his back garden.

Michael Tillotson, of Airy Hill, Filey was also ordered to pay costs of over £9,000 after he pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed waste site.

A surveillance operation caught Tillotson bringing end-of-life vehicles and general waste into his garden.

It was revealed by officers from the Environment Agency that he had earned £17,000 from the scrap operations, while they estimated that £12,500 was saved by Tillotson by not being licensed.

Oil and chemicals found in vehicles, including those in paint, could enter the ground and impact upon wildlife and water courses.

In defence, Nicholas Dry said there was no evidence of a £17,000 income.

The Environment Agency has recently been given new civil powers under the Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Act 2008 to provide an alterative to criminal prosecutions for breaches made by companies which are unintentional.

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