A MAN from Princetown has been banned from the waste trade for fly-tipping in Cornish beauty spots.
Wayne Plummer of Burrator Avenue was given a community order requiring 100 hours of work, as well as Ashley Brown of Tollox Place, Plymouth, and Michael Baggally of Wolseley Road, Plymouth, after they all admitted the illegal deposit of household, industrial and commercial waste and not being registered waste carriers.
The men dumped waste, including old sofas and carpets, in scenic locations, even setting fire to it on one occasion.
All three were ordered to pay £520 compensation and given a Criminal Behaviour Order for five years, preventing them from being involved in the waste business.
Baggallay, who had his hearing for sentencing adjourned pending a mental health assessment to establish his fitness for work, appeared at Plymouth Magistrates Court on Monday, April 23. Plummer and Brown were both sentenced on April 10.
The prosecution followed a joint investigation between the Environment Agency, which took the lead role, South Hams Council, Plymouth City Council, Cornwall Council and Devon and Cornwall Police.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: ‘This criminal behaviour was premeditated and planned and the environmentally-sensitive locations were chosen by the defendants for their remoteness in order to better escape detection.’
A spokesperson for South Hams District Council, where some of the waste was tipped, said: ‘I’m delighted that we’ve been able to work with the Environment Agency and other local authorities to secure a conviction in this instance.
‘I hope this sends a message that fly-tipping will absolutely not be tolerated and we will prosecute offenders.’
On November 2, 2016, Cornwall Council was alerted to fly-tipping in the car park at Cremyll on the Rame Peninsula that included sofas and carpets.
Further offences followed in January 2017 at Little Lane in Bovisand and two days later near Torpoint.
The final offence happened at Hooe Road in Plymstock when waste was dumped on a public footpath and set on fire.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue attended.
Evidence found at three sites linked the waste to all three men. The total clean-up cost was more than £5,000.