Staffordshire farmer fined over £4,000 for burning and burying waste

Frank Gray of The Green admitted to the offence and was ordered to pay the £2,000 fine, the council’s costs of £1,503.71, and a victim surcharge of £800.     

Cannock Magistrates Court heard that on 8th November 2022 an environmental health officer spotted black smoke rising from a large fire on farmland off Fisherwick Road owned by the 63-year-old farmer.  

The officer could not access Mr Gray’s land but returned the following day to find the fire still smouldering. Within the remains, he discovered tractor tyres, a chemical drum, a scaffold pole, a gas meter box, wire fencing, and cables.  

Dumped and buried

Further visits were made involving another environmental health officer as he was investigating an incident at the same site back in November 2022, when a member of the public was hit by a firework during an organised display.

The officers saw a crane lifting the remains of the fire into a trailer as they were being taken to another field and then dumped and buried close to a watercourse, crops, and livestock.

Speaking to the media, Lichfield District Council cabinet member Cllr Alex Farrell said: “Protecting Lichfield District’s environment is among the council’s highest priorities – we will always seek to take action against those who harm it.

“We know that it is incredibly important to local people, and that they want to see action taken. I hope this prosecution acts as a deterrent to anyone else thinking of causing pollution to the air, land or water in Lichfield District.”

READ MORE: Two fly-tippers have been detained following a citizen’s arrest in Warwickshire

Urgent call for action

The NFU has recently made an urgent call for action after the latest statistics show that more than one million incidents of fly-tipping were reported across England last year.

According to Defra, local authorities in England dealt with 1.08 million fly-tipping incidents between April 2022 and March 2023. This marks a decrease of 1% from the 1.09 million reported in 2021/22. However, Defra has stated its figures only account for public land, and do not include reports on private or farmland.

The on-the-spot fines for litter, graffiti and fly-tipping have also been set to rise as the government moves to clamp down on anti-social behaviour that harms nature and communities.

To help councils clamp down on waste crime, the government has laid a statutory instrument increasing the upper limits for various fixed penalty notices (FPNs) which means:

• The maximum amount those caught fly-tipping could be fined increases from £400 to £1,000

• The maximum amount those who litter or graffiti could be fined increases from £150 to £500

• The maximum amount those who breach their household waste duty of care could be fined increases from £400 to £600

Read more rural crime articles here.