A Harrogate man who illegally dumped tonnes of rubbish across the district has been sentenced to a 12-month community order and told to pay more than £6,000 in costs.
Christopher Paul Binder (26-10-1989), from Pendragon Way in Harrogate ran a waste collection service but instead of disposing of the waste responsibly, he tipped the rubbish at the side of the road, in the countryside, behind the Frazer Theatre in Knaresborough and in a supermarket car park in Jennyfields.
The waste included items from a house clearance containing personal information relating to the owner of the property. It was dumped in a residential area.
Rubbish collected from a business – a fridge, packing materials and hazardous waste – was fly-tipped in the middle of a town centre.
It cost the authority more than £2,000 to clear up the mess he left behind.
Binder was sentenced to 12-month community order with 200 hours of unpaid work at Harrogate Magistrate’s Court today (Tuesday 1 May). He will also be made the subject of a three month, overnight electronic curfew. He was also ordered to pay more than £6,000 towards the council’s legal fees and the cost of clearing away the rubbish he dumped.
At an earlier hearing Binder admitted seven charges under section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act and a single charge of theft.
In their sentencing, magistrates took Mr Binder’s early guilty plea into consideration.
Harrogate Borough Council’s environmental protection team was alerted when increasing amounts of fly tipping was spotted by patrolling North Yorkshire Police traffic officers.
Staff from both organisations – and the council’s legal team – worked together closely over eight months to build the case against Mr Binder and to bring the prosecution.
The council also seized the Transit van used in the offences and the court gave permission for it to be crushed.
Paul Campbell, director of communities, Harrogate Borough Council, said:
This is an excellent result after a detailed and thorough investigation by our environmental protection team and officers from North Yorkshire Police.
We will not tolerate people who dump rubbish illegally. This case serves as a warning that we will track offenders down and bring them to justice.
We are very fortunate that we have some beautiful places across the district which is being blighted by people like Binder.
Our residents are becoming increasingly concerned that this type of behaviour is ruining our environment and it is right that we pursue those who perpetrate this type of crime.
Sergeant Julian Pearson, North Yorkshire Police, said:
Our officers worked very closely with the council to bring this case to court and the
sentence should send a clear message about our attitude to fly-tippers.
Householders and business in North Yorkshire have a duty of care to make sure someone they pay to take away their rubbish is properly licenced.
You should never trust anyone who offers to take away rubbish, especially for a few pounds and in cash.
If the person, or organisation, cannot produce a waste carrier’s licence do not employ them and report the matter to the council.
Anyone who collects waste should have an ‘upper tier’ waste carrier’s licence which is issued by the Environment Agency (EA). There is a public register on the agency’s website which has a record of such licences. The EA can also be contacted on 0370 8 506 506.
Members of the public must check that the business/individual who collects their waste has this licence. They should also get a receipt confirming the contact details of the business or individual who took the waste, what the waste was and how much they charged.
A waste removal business should produce a waste transfer note which must be retained for two years. It should list what the waste is, who it has been handed to and where it is being disposed of.
Seen this guy driving around Harrogate thieving metal out of peoples gardens. Plus he drives around like theres no one else on the road and I myself have had a few near misses with this idiot! Made me smile seeing his rust bucket of a van being crushed :)