Cambridgeshire man fined more than £5k for burning waste at home

A neighbour in the village, near Wisbech, complained that the "toxic" waste was being burnt every four or five weeks

A man has been fined £5,200 for illegally burning "toxic" waste at his home for about 18 months.

Adam Ivory, 38, of Tydd St Giles in Cambridgeshire, admitted he stored and burnt waste without a permit between April 2019 and September 2020.

Among the items set alight were plastics, pallets, polystyrene, and plumbing waste.

Magistrates in Peterborough said the site was "unsuitable" and had been a serious risk to public health.

They said Ivory had acted deliberately over a prolonged period and had continued to light fires, despite letters advising him to stop.

The fires were said to last for hours with the air being described as "toxic" as a result

The Environment Agency said a neighbour reported that commercial waste was being burnt at the site every three to five weeks and it was being piled up with accelerants.

The government body said the fires were said to last for hours with the air being described as "toxic" as a result. There were also concerns about the impact on the neighbour's health as well as their animals.

The agency said it wrote to Ivory on two occasions providing advice and requiring him to remove all the waste.

In March 2020, he told officers it had been removed but further fires took place the following month and continued after he was questioned in July 2020.

Among the items set alight were plastics, pallets, polystyrene, and plumbing waste

Ivory pleaded guilty to operating a regulated facility without being authorised by an environmental permit.

He also admitted keeping controlled waste on land in a manner likely to cause pollution or harm to human health.

In mitigation, he told the court he had been running his business legitimately for the past 18 months.

As well as the fine, Ivory was told to pay a victim surcharge of £190, plus costs totalling £4,302.

Peter Stark from the Environment Agency said that burning waste, especially of the quantities in this case, can have "a serious impact on local communities and cause untold damage to the environment".

"Ivory was given advice on a number of occasions and told to remove the waste legitimately from his property but failed to do so," he said.