£11,390 in fines, cost and compensation for waste company

Able Hire (Leicester) Limited was fined £5000 and ordered to pay compensation and costs totaling £6375 and a victim surcharge of £15 after pleading guilty to a charge relating to an illegal waste operation. Proceedings were brought under the Environmental Permitting (England & Wales) Regulations 2007. Environment Officers inspected land adjacent to Spring Grange Farm, Beeby, Leicestershire in May 2009 and found piles of soils and rubble. There were a number of skips which contained amounts of household and commercial waste. There was also evidence that waste had been burnt in a skip. In addition, a large area of the site had been excavated to create a hard-standing made of brick and concrete rubble which was contaminated with materials including plastic and scrap metals. The company did not hold an environmental permit for the site. An Environment Agency officer involved in the investigation, said: 'Illegal waste disposal activities are a problem, the Environment Agency is pleased that the court is taking the issue seriously, which is reflected in the heavy fine issued to Able Hire (Leicester) Limited today. We hope this will act as a deterrent to others who may consider disposing of waste illegally.'