The owner of a waste removal business who dumped tonnes of household rubbish at sites around Bristol has been sent to prison for 15-months.The case was brought by the Environment Agency.

 

Wayne Richards dumped approximately 28 tipper truck loads of waste on land at the rear of the Sevalco carbon black processing plant and on a farm track off Severn Road, Avonmouth. He also tipped a further 2-3 truck loads of waste off Coleford Road, Southmead, Bristol.

 

Trading under the name of ‘Richards Rubbish Clearance’, Wayne Richards operated from an address in Portishead.

 

On February 4, 2009 two Environment Agency officers were travelling along Severn Road when they noticed that a large amount of waste deposited on a piece of land behind Sevalco. The waste, that included household items, decorating/builders waste and garden waste, was in distinct piles indicating it had been tipped one load at time on a number of occasions.

 

Wayne Richards was traced from documents found in the rubbish. The paperwork showed that some of the waste had come from rental properties in the Clifton, Redland and Cotham areas of Bristol. Inquiries revealed that Richards had a contract to remove rubbish from these properties once a fortnight.

 

Although a registered waste carrier, Richards was unable to produce Waste Transfer Notes for his business activities. He claimed another company, Fast Clear Waste Removal, had been responsible for clearing waste for him, but when the Environment Agency carried of further checks, no trace could be found of this company. 

 

Richards advertised his business in Yellow Pages and on online business directories. He also had his own website advertising waste collection services. During a search of his home, commercial waste including significant quantities of asbestos sheeting, a hazardous waste, was found stored in yards at the front and rear of the property.

 

He was finally caught following a lengthy investigation involving the Environment Agency, Bristol City Council and Avon and Somerset Police.

 

‘Fly-tipping offences such as this case are common in the Bristol area and leave local taxpayers with substantial clean-up costs. Invariably offenders are motivated by financial gain and have little regard for the environment. Where we have the evidence we won’t hesitate to prosecute,’ said Victoria Freke for the Environment Agency.

 

Wayne Richards, of Easedale Close, Southmead, Bristol, had earlier pleaded guilty to five offences under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 including depositing controlled waste on land off Severn Road, Avonmouth and failing to keep waste transfer notes. He was sentenced on Friday (Dec 2) at a hearing at Bristol Crown Court.