Farmer Receives Suspended Prison Sentence for Waste Offences
UK News and Communications, 2024-12-19 10:34
A farmer has received a suspended prison sentence for waste offences after he was found to have illegally disposed of animal by-products and other waste materials on his land.
Alan Smith, 50, of Chapel House Farm, Llandrindod Wells, Powys, was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years, at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on 16 December 2024. He was also ordered to pay costs of £15,000.
The court heard that Smith had been operating an illegal waste disposal site on his farm for several years. Waste materials, including animal by-products, plastics, and metal, were found scattered across the site.
Environment Agency officers visited the farm in 2022 following a complaint from a member of the public. Officers found evidence that Smith had been burning waste materials on the site, which is a serious environmental hazard.
Smith pleaded guilty to four charges of illegally disposing of waste and one charge of causing environmental harm.
Sentencing Smith, Judge Richard Williams said: “This was a serious breach of environmental regulations. You have put the health of the public and the environment at risk.”
The Environment Agency welcomed the sentence. A spokesperson said: “This sends a clear message that we will not tolerate illegal waste disposal. Those who break the law will be prosecuted.”
Smith’s conviction is the latest in a series of prosecutions brought by the Environment Agency against farmers who have illegally disposed of waste on their land. In recent years, the Agency has secured several convictions, including a two-year prison sentence for a farmer in Devon in 2023.
The Environment Agency is urging farmers to dispose of waste responsibly. The Agency offers a free advice service to farmers on waste management.
Farmer receives suspended prison sentence for waste offences
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