There were 16 prosecutions of individuals or companies for waste offences in the North East of England in 2016, amounting to total fines of £62,763 and costs of £40,493, according to an Environment Agency summary.
There were also two custodial sentences, three suspended sentences, two community orders and two rehabilitation orders. The courts also awarded a total of £14,735 in compensation to those affected by the crimes, which included a landowner left with costs of £100,000 to remove 585 tonnes of waste dumped on their land.
In addition, the Environment Agency revoked two environmental permits from waste companies who continually failed to meet their permit conditions.
Courts imposed a further £19,162 in fines and costs on an individual and company for twice polluting a protected water course.
“We take illegal waste and fishing activity very seriously. We have had some excellent results in court over the last year and will continue to work hard in the coming year to ensure enforcement action is taken against those who flout the law.”
The statistics were published in a summary of action against waste and fishery offences in the North East of England in 2016.
Jamie Fletcher, environment manager at the Environment Agency in the North East, said: “We take illegal waste and fishing activity very seriously. We have had some excellent results in court over the last year and will continue to work hard in the coming year to ensure enforcement action is taken against those who flout the law.
Waste crime can cause serious pollution to the environment, puts communities at risk and undermines legitimate businesses, impacting on investment and economic growth.
“Similarly, those fishing illegally are cheating other anglers and putting the future of the sport and quality of our rivers in jeopardy.
“We have specialist teams that work hard to target those suspected of being involved in illegal activity and to ensure any necessary action is taken against them.
“We work closely with a wide range of partners including local authorities, police and the fire service, and I’d like to thank them for their continued support.”
Snapshot Of Waste In 2016
The figures come as the Environment Agency published its annual snapshot of waste sector statistics for 2016. Click on the image for the full infographic.