Three men caused nearly £1m damage after dumping illegal waste

May 05, 2023

Three men have been given suspended sentences for illegally depositing waste after an industrial unit three quarters full with waste was found in Wrexham and with nearly £1m worth of damage.

An investigation found more than 1,600 tonnes of mixed waste had been compacted into cube shaped bales and wrapped in plastic sheeting at the facility on the Llay Industrial Estate.

Investigators found they had been stacked high “to get as many as possible into the building”.

Extensive damage had been caused to the building, estimated to be worth £934,589.51.

Further financial investigations are ongoing through the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Authorities say had officers not intervened when they did, there could have been a “catastrophe for the surrounding area, local environment and the public”.

On Friday, 28 April, Anthony Gordon Park, from Carmarthen, received a 14-month custodial sentence suspended for 18 months for operating a regulated facility otherwise than in accordance with an environmental permit.

Gavin Taylor, from Sheffield, and Karl Jones, from Rotherham, were sentenced for knowingly causing controlled waste to be deposited on land otherwise than in accordance with an environmental permit.

Taylor received a 14-month custody to be suspended for 18 months while Jones received a 12-month community order with 68 hours of unpaid work.

FCM Commercial Services Limited was ordered to pay fines and costs amounting to £6,500 for knowingly transporting waste and depositing it at the industrial unit.

The investigation was conducted by Natural Resources Wales in 2017 and the three were sentenced at Caernarfon Crown Court.

Officers could feel the heat being generated inside the unit and noted a strong smell as well as a number of flies at the site.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

David Powell, Natural Resources Wales’s operations manager for North East Wales, said: “This successful prosecution shows that NRW is serious in its aim to clamp down on illegal waste offences across Wales.

“Whether you’re the waste producer or carrier, everyone has a legal duty to check that the person or company taking and depositing the waste is registered on NRW’s public register. In this case, the landowner ended up paying for the waste to be removed.”

Read Entire Article