According to the regulator, Mr Shane Dooley, 59, of Birkenhead, England pleaded guilty to four environmental offences at Mold Magistrates Court on 19 July.
He has been ordered to pay costs totalling over £6,000 and handed a 20-week suspended custodial sentence. Additionally, Mr Dooley was banned for driving for two years, NRW added.
Investigation
NRW explained that the case came as a result of an investigation by NRW officers in July last year which discovered 204 vehicles on a site at the Castle Park Industrial Estate in Flint. Engines, wheels and body panels were reportedly removed from the vehicles and there were “clear signs” of oil and other contaminants on the ground.
In August 2021, it was discovered that Mr Dooley had been running an identical site in Sandycroft, Flint, holding 124 cars in “unroadworthy” state.
No permits
NRW pointed out that Mr Dooley was found to have “no environmental permits nor any registered waste exemptions in place at either site, whilst the oil and other contaminants on the ground posed a risk to the environment”.
Lyndsey Rawlinson, NRW head of north east Wales operations, said: “Crimes of this kind has the potential to cause havoc in our communities, having a detrimental impact on our environment and wildlife, whilst each year resulting in millions of pounds being lost from the pockets of the taxpayer, local businesses and landowners.”
She added that when NRW enforcement officers discover illicit activity such as Mr Dooley’s, “they will not hesitate in taking action”. Ms Rawlinson commended everyone working together in ensuring a “successful prosecution”.
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