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EA secures fourth prosecution in Devon waste dump case

EA secures fourth prosecution in Devon waste dump case
Image credit: Environment Agency

A fourth defendant has been convicted as part of a long-running Environment Agency investigation into illegal waste activity at a site near Kingsteignton, South Devon.

Waste carrier Stephen White of Broadhempston, Totnes, was ordered to pay £11,741 after admitting his role in depositing waste illegally at the site between June 2019 and October 2021.

White appeared before magistrates where he was fined £1,292, ordered to pay £7,650 in financial benefit, alongside the Environment Agency’s costs and a victim surcharge.

The court heard that White deposited an estimated 450 to 588 tonnes of waste at the site during the two-year period.

His prosecution marks the conclusion of a complex Environment Agency operation which has now seen four successful convictions linked to the site.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “This has been a complex operation with multiple defendants, but we are pleased to have now concluded with four successful prosecutions.

“This action shows that waste criminals will not get away with dumping, and we will take enforcement action against anyone who transports, disposes or stores waste illegally.”

Floodplain would cost £2.5m to clear

The investigation previously led to the jailing of landowner Christopher Garrett in 2024, after the regulator said he repeatedly ignored warnings over activity at the site.

Earlier this year, waste carrier DTM Grab Hire was ordered to pay £16,664 after illegally depositing 3,490 tonnes of soil, stones and road planings there between January and September 2021.

Another waste carrier, David Gorton, was also prosecuted and fined for his involvement.

The site, located on a floodplain near Kingsteignton, became the focus of a major Environment Agency investigation after officers discovered thousands of tonnes of mixed construction and demolition waste.

Investigators found a substantial volume of material had been brought onto the land over several years by multiple operators, with waste including soil, rubble and road planings.

The Environment Agency has estimated it would cost at least £2.5 million to clear and remediate the site.

The regulator has warned that illegal waste sites can pose serious environmental risks, particularly where they are located on floodplains, where pollution incidents can spread quickly into surrounding land and watercourses.

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