Year in jail for dumping old tyres in Shropshire

A 42-year-old man has been jailed for 12 months after thousands of old tyres were dumped illegally at two sites in Shropshire and Mid Wales.

Mark Watts, who had stored at least 42,500 worn tyres illegally at his then home at Abercynllaith, Penybont, and at Broad Oak Farm, Whitchurch, was jailed at Mold Crown Court yesterday.

Watts, now of Redwood Drive, Burntwood in Staffordshire, admitted two charges of illegally dumping tyres and two charges of failing to remove them in 2008 and 2009.

Mr Jonathan Salmon, prosecuting for the Environment Agency, said Watts had operated a tyre disposal company with a very similar name to a national waste company to give it "a veneer of respectability".

Watts undercut other companies by avoiding the substantial costs of setting up approved sites with the necessary consents.

The court was told he took away unwanted tyres and set up sites in inappropriate locations, where people lived within 500 metres and were exposed to possible fire risks.

Mr Salmon said it had cost one of the landowners £50,000 to clear his site. When a land agent had tackled Watts, while he was still operating, he was told to mind his own business.

The court heard it was estimated that Watts had been paid about £24,500 to collect tyres - undercutting the competition by about 25 per cent because he was not paying for the consents and disposal costs.

Sentencing Watts, Judge Niclas Parry said that motivated by financial gain, Watts had illegally disposed of a large quantity of tyres at the two sites. He had ignored warnings and "flagrantly disregarded" notices and continued to offend.