A man has been ordered to pay over £2000 in fines and costs after items he removed from a house clearance were found dumped and set on fire down a farm track in Wilburton.

Jess Holmes, trading as JH Improvements, had been paid £1800 by a man to clear out the contents of his mother’s home in Eynesbury, near St Neots last May, following her death.

Instead of disposing of the contents properly it was found burnt out down a farmland track down Parsons Drove, which is off Whitecross Road in Wilburton. 

East Cambridgeshire District Council’s waste and environmental services officer found the smouldering waste following a tip-off.

Among the items were a computer tower, furniture, books, electrical items, medication and ID belonging to the deceased lady. 

The officer noticed an acrid smell typical of burning plastics and upholstery and his immediate concern was the high potential for drift of toxic particles.

Holmes was interviewed at the council. He explained that he had engaged a contractor to take the items from him, but was unable to produce a waste carrier’s licence or a valid waste transfer note.

Cambridge Magistrates Court later found him guilty of waste duty of care offences under section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, for failing to have a waste carrier licence and waste transfer documents and for failing to take reasonable measures to prevent the disposing of controlled waste by burning. This has potential to cause pollution to the environment and harm to human health.

He was fined £400 for the offence and ordered to pay the council’s costs of £904.64; compensation totalling £550 to cover the cost of clearing the waste, and a victim surcharge of £160, making a total of £2014.64.  

Commenting on the case, Councillor Julia Huffer who chairs the council's operational services committee, said: "We take all offences relating to the illegal dumping of waste extremely seriously, including breaches of the waste duty of care.  

“All businesses including sole traders need to comply with the law with respect to waste carriage and transfer and there are consequences for failing in those duties. The duty of care exists to provide protection against the harm that the disposal of this waste was capable of. 

“We all have a duty to protect the environment and prevent harm to it.  We are pleased that the court has recognised the seriousness of this incident and applied a suitable sanction.”

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