Illegal tipping costs millions

John Craxford Plant Hire Ltd has been forced to pay out £1.27 million following a conviction at Exeter Crown Court for running a landfill site illegally. The seizure of assets is the largest ever made following an environmental conviction in the UK. 

Over a four-year period, John Craxford operated a landfill site in Kingskerswell, Devon, where huge amounts of unsuitable waste was buried. According to its permit, the site should only have taken inert materials, such as soil and stone. However, the types of waste buried included: wood; plastics; cardboard; electrical goods; carpet; garden waste; and household waste.

The Environment Agency conducted a surveillance operation, which discovered that large volumes of mixed waste were being delivered to the site every day.  The waste was delivered by local skip firms and building contractors. In January 2007 alone, the site was shown to have taken over 5,000 cubic yards of mixed waste, for which it received over £47,000.

The Assets Recovery Agency asked the court to confiscate assets equal to the value of the benefit gained, a sum of £1,194,638. John Craxford, director of the company, was also fined £60,000 and ordered to pay £18,855 costs. After pleading guilty, he was given a three-year conditional discharge.