A farmer in North Yorkshire has been given a suspended prison sentence after admitting to operating an illegal waste site on his land.
Environment Agency said Hayden Fortune, 50, of Pyethornes Farm in Wigglesworth, Skipton, was sentenced at York Magistrates’ Court on 26 March, having previously pleaded guilty to the offence.
The court heard that the site was first reported to the Environment Agency in May 2024. Officers who attended found large quantities of waste, including shredded plastic, metals, electrical items and aerosols.
Subsequent visits identified evidence that waste was being buried on the land, including the use of excavators.
Despite warnings and a statutory notice requiring the removal of waste, the activity continued for more than a year. In February 2026, the Environment Agency obtained a restriction order as part of its enforcement action.
The court found the offending to be deliberate and significant. Fortune was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years. He was also fined £2,500 for breaching a separate suspended sentence.
In addition, he was ordered to complete 20 days of rehabilitation activity, pay £10,000 in costs and a victim surcharge of £187.
The court also ordered that all waste must be cleared from the site within two years. Failure to comply could result in further court proceedings.
The Environment Agency said the case highlights ongoing efforts to tackle waste crime.
Fortune’s breach of a previous suspended sentence related to an unrelated Trading Standards prosecution. In April 2023, he had received a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, for animal welfare offences, along with a lifetime ban on keeping animals.
At the latest hearing, the court determined that activating the earlier suspended sentence would not be appropriate, citing the potential impact on dependents.