A skip hire company owner who was conned by a rogue waste haulier has been hit with a £25,000 bill after his rubbish was fly-tipped at four sites in Essex. Robert Walker, of Bob’s Skips in Basildon, failed to check the legitimacy of a haulier who cold called his premises looking for a backload.
Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court heard how Walker had asked for waste transfer notices, but made no further enquiries about the haulier’s company and failed to notice the forms weren’t filled in properly. He had no idea where the waste was being taken, nor did he check it had arrived at its destination. Due to inaccurate paperwork, the lorry and driver have not been traced.
Prosecuting for the Environment Agency, Sarah Dunne said Walker had been reckless and breached the duty of care he had when managing waste. Walker admitted breaching the Environmental Protection Act and was fined £10,000, ordered to pay £8,300 towards the costs of the clean-up of the dumped waste, and £6,532 in costs. There was also a £30 victim surcharge.
Environment Agency officer Tom Pickover said: “We hope this sends out a clear message to waste operators that they cannot take a cavalier approach to its disposal.
“The duty of care rules are there to protect the environment and legitimate traders who want to do a good job of disposing of waste properly.”
Year: 2019 | Body Type: Skip | Mileage: 197,799 km | Weight: 18,000 kg | Category: Rigids
Year: 2020 | Body Type: Skip | Cab Type: Day | Registration: FN70AYT | Mileage: 199,516 km | Power: 283 bhp
