Waste carrier fined for failing to produce legal documents
A County Durham man who was spotted collecting scrap metal has been ordered to pay out more than £600 after he failed to produce the required documentation.
Anthony Sawley, of Quinn Crescent, Wingate, was asked to supply his waste carriers licence by one of our neighbourhood wardens after a van registered to him was seen loaded with scrap metal near Spennymoor last year.
The section 34 notice issued by the warden also required Sawley to produce waste receipts for the period of 30 May 2023 to December 2023 to allow us to establish that the scrap was being disposed of correctly.
Peterlee Magistrates Court heard the 40-year-old failed to produce the documentation within the required seven days and made no attempt to contact the council.
Fixed penalty notice
The neighbourhood warden issued Sawley with two fixed penalty notices which he failed to pay, resulting in the matter being taken to court.
Sawley pleaded guilty to failing to produce the waste carriers licence and failing to produce the receipts and was fined £120 for each offence. He was also ordered to pay costs of £330 and a £48 victim surcharge.
Magistrates heard Sawley had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and claimed not to have received the fixed penalty notices.
Residents are reminded there are number of ways to dispose of waste responsibly, including visiting one of our household waste recycling centres or arranging for a bulky goods collection.
To find out more, visit the Rubbish & Recycling page.
A serious matter
Belinda Snow, our senior neighbourhood warden manager, said: "It's incredibly important that anyone involved in the transfer of waste has the correct licences in place and can produce receipts to demonstrate where the waste is being taken from and to. This helps to ensure waste is being disposed of correctly and reduces fly-tipping, which has a damaging impact on our communities and environment.
"We take such matters seriously, but prosecution is always a last resort, and I would encourage waste carriers operating in County Durham to get in touch if they have any questions about the documentation required."
Find out more
Anyone transferring waste requires a waste carriers licence from the Environment Agency. A scrap metal collector licence from the council is also required if people are transferring scrap metal in County Durham.
For more information, contact 03000 261016 or licensing@durham.gov.uk
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