Suspended jail term for boss behind illegal tip

3 hours ago

Richard Madden

BBC News

Baled waste was left it to rot at the farm, the Environment Agency says

Environment Agency An aerial view of bales of rubbish which have been dumped on a farm in Lincolnshire. The blue-coloured bundles are piled up and surrounded by two agricultural buildings. — Baled waste was left it to rot at the farm, the Environment Agency says

The owner of a company that dumped waste illegally has been given a suspended jail sentence and ordered to pay almost £100,000 in fines, costs and confiscation orders.

SBR Foxhills Limited was found to be running a waste site without a permit at Thorpe Farm, Skendleby, near Spilsby, in 2021.

Director Matthew Berry, 46, of Dairy Lane, Blyborough, was handed a 36-week suspended prison sentence at Lincoln Crown Court on 7 May after he and his business pleaded guilty to the offence.

Yvonne Daly, a manager at the Environment Agency, said: "Rogue contractors and operators in the waste sector should take note: we will not tolerate illegal waste activities in Lincolnshire."

She added: "We will take enforcement action to protect the environment, people and legitimate businesses."

The agency said Berry, the sole director of SBR Foxhills, took control of Thorpe Farm in April 2021, but had no environmental permit or authorisation to store or treat waste.

Berry moved baled waste, which had been stored in a building, on to a concrete pad on the site and left it to rot after it was exposed to the weather.

Matthew Berry and his company SBR Foxhills Limited were prosecuted by the Environment Agency

Environment Agency A pile of decomposing waste which had been dumped at a site in Lincolnshire. Blue bales are stacked at the left of the image but have partially split. A large mound of brown-coloured rubbish, including what looks like pieces of metal, is visible on the right of the image. — Matthew Berry and his company SBR Foxhills Limited were prosecuted by the Environment Agency

The agency said that, despite attempts to work with Berry, the waste remained at the site before legal action was taken in 2022.

At the hearing last Wednesday, Berry was told he would be subject to a curfew between 21:00 and 05:00 for three months.

Berry was ordered to pay £5,000 costs and a surcharge of £154, while SBR Foxhills Limited was fined £20,000, ordered to pay costs of £29,626.35 and a £190 surcharge.

Berry and his company were given a confiscation order of £45,000 for the recovery of the proceeds from the crime.

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