In a statement yesterday (24 March), the council said Weymouth resident Nigel Choules, 68, pleaded guilty to carriage of controlled waste without the proper tier of licence, unlawfully depositing controlled waste and failing to produce, waste transfer notes for the waste he carried.
The council said Mr Choules was sentenced to a fine of £720 for the three offences. He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £72, and contribution to costs of £200.
Cllr Laura Miller, dorset council’s portfolio holder for customer and community services, said: “This prosecution should serve as a warning to anyone who attempts to use our publicly-funded recycling centres to dispose of waste that they have been paid to deal with.
“We will not tolerate this illegal behaviour and will prosecute anyone trying to flout the rules.”
Company
According to the council, Mr Choules operated two commercial companies and was found to have made many recorded visits to HWRCs in Portland and Weymouth.
In July 2020, the council said its waste enforcement officers were contacted by an informant alerting them that Mr Choules was collecting commercial waste and taking it into the Portland HWRC to dispose of it for free.
Dorset explained that officers then asked to see the defendant’s authority to transport controlled waste and when this was not provided, “the defendant was fined for this failure to produce this document”.
After his vehicle permit was cancelled, Dorset said Mr. Choules then “successfully applied for a lower-tier waste carrier licence and a new permit for his vehicle”.
However, neither of these allowed the defendant to transport commercial waste or drop it at an HWRC.
“A further tip-off in June 2021 revealed that the defendant appeared to now be using a large silver van to collect waste for money, and then transferring it into a Citroen Picasso car to transport it to the HWRC.
“Following an investigation by waste enforcement officers, this car was seized under Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. During a search of the vehicle, documents were recovered linked” to his companies, the council explained.
It added: “The defendant claimed to be unaware of the rules around collecting, transporting, and disposing of commercial waste, despite being informed of these previously.
“Following a further challenge from waste enforcement officers that he was fully aware he was breaking the rules, he stated: ‘Alright, I’ve been sort of dishonest, but I didn’t realise that I couldn’t do it’.
Cllr Miller added: “I know I speak for most Dorset residents when I say I do not want my council tax supplementing the illegal activities of those trying to increase their profits by avoiding waste disposal costs. I’d like to thank all the officers involved for their hard work in bringing this successful prosecution to court.”
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