£75,000 to be confiscated from Lincolnshire waste criminals
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-17)

5 men convicted of offences in connection with an illegal waste site at Long Bennington, Lincolnshire, have had confiscation orders totalling £74,751.16.

- Environment Agency secures Proceeds of Crime Awards against individuals who blighted Long Bennington
- Latest hearing following major investigation by Environment Agency into site in rural Lincolnshire
- Confiscation orders were made against 5 of those convicted – with more to follow.
A Proceeds of Crime Award hearing led by the Environment Agency was concluded at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday 12th September.

Waste broker and dealer Robert Malone was fined £1,165.00 and received a confiscation order of £45,948.

Daniel Lippitt, an operator who deposited waste at the site, received a confiscation order of £10,000.

Luke Woodward and Sonial Surpal, lorry drivers who deposited waste at the site, received confiscation orders of £1,111.61 and £16,511.55 respectively.

Site operative Nathan Jones received a confiscation order of £1,180.

12 people were found guilty in 2024 of waste crime charges relating to a site at Fen Lane, Long Bennington. Lorry-loads of shredded waste were regularly burnt on land close to people’s homes. 7 defendants received custodial sentences and 4 received suspended sentences, while at Friday’s hearing the remaining defendant was also fined.

In addition, last month transport company Fletcher Plant Limited were sentenced after being found guilty of failing their duty of care to establish that the site they delivered waste to was operating legally.

As the company received a confiscation order of £37,587.13, the overall Proceeds of Crime total secured by the Environment Agency now stands at £112,338.29. There is still more to come from key players in the case.

The Environment Agency will now bring a Proceeds of Crime Award hearing against the main offenders, family of 3 Paul, Judith and Joshua Canner, who ran the illegal waste site. This hearing will also include landowners Marc Greenfield,46, of Fosse Road, Brough and James Baggaley, 39, of Back Lane, Foston who have been ordered to remove the remaining waste from the site.

Peter Stark, Environment Agency Enforcement Team Leader, said:

Waste crime blights communities, and it’s only right that those who seek to profit from it should have their ill-gotten gains confiscated.

This is a cautionary tale for anyone tempted to try to operate outside the law.

We have doggedly pursued all the offenders who contributed to the illegal waste site at Long Bennington, and we are satisfied with the outcome of today’s hearing.

Anyone who suspects that a company is involved in illegal waste activity can call our 24-hour hotline on xx-xxxx-xxxx or report it anonymously to Crimestoppers on xx-xxxx-xxxx.

Proceeds of Crime Award money received by the Environment Agency from this case and others will be used to strengthen tools and teams who tackle waste criminals.

Additional information

Details of previous hearings:

18 October 2024: Nine imprisoned for operating illegal Lincolnshire waste site - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nine-imprisoned-for-operating-illegal-lincolnshire-waste-site)

16 December 2024: Two more sentenced over large illegal waste site in Lincolnshire - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/two-more-sentenced-over-large-illegal-waste-site-in-lincolnshire)

13 August 2025: Sheffield firm pays £167,587.13 for dumping waste in Lincolnshire - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/sheffield-firm-pays-16758713-for-dumping-waste-in-lincolnshire)

Sentences issued to defendants on 18 October 2024:
- Paul Canner, aged 53 of Main Road, Bilstone, Nuneaton, pleaded guilty to 1) knowingly causing the deposit of waste at the site between 1 October 2019 and 1 May 2020, and 2) knowingly causing the operation of the illegal waste site between 1 October 2019 and 1 May 2020. He was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court to 26 months’ immediate imprisonment.
- Judith Canner, aged 55 of Main Road, Bilstone, Nuneaton, pleaded guilty to knowingly causing the deposit of waste at the site between 1 October 2019 and 1 May 2020. She was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court to 16 months’ immediate imprisonment.
- Joshua Canner, aged 29 of Laburnum Avenue, Newbold Verdon, pleaded guilty to knowingly causing the deposit of waste at the site between 1 October 2019 and 1 May 2020. He was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court to 16 months’ immediate imprisonment.
- Sonial Surpal, aged 52 of Round House Road, Coventry, pleaded guilty to depositing waste at the site between 1 October 2019 and 1 May 2020. He was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court to 13 months’ immediate imprisonment.
- Luke Woodward, aged 37 of Willow Road, Nuneaton, pleaded guilty to depositing waste at the site between 1 October 2019 and 1 May 2020. He was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court to 11 months’ immediate imprisonment.
- Marcus Chapman, aged 39 of Egmanton Drive, Mansfield, pleaded guilty to disposing of the waste at the site between 1 October 2019 and 1 May 2020. He was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court to 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months. He was ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work.
- Peter Wainwright, aged 32 of Dexter Lane, Hurley, Atherstone, Warwickshire pleaded guilty to disposing of waste at the site between 1 October 2019 and 1 May 2020. He was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court to 16 months’ immediate imprisonment.
- Nathan Jones, aged 43 of Carnation Road, Shirebrook, Mansfield, pleaded guilty to disposing of waste at the site between 1 October 2019 and 1 May 2020. He was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court to 16 months’ immediate imprisonment.
- Daniel Lippitt, aged 55 of Lubbersthorpe Road, Leicester, pleaded guilty to depositing waste at the site between 1 October 2019 and 1 May 2020. He was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court to 9 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months. He was ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work.
Sentences issued to the landowners on 16 December 2024 at Nottingham Crown Court:
- James Baggaley, aged 39 of Back Lane, Foston, pleaded not guilty but was found guilty in June 2024 after a trial of 1) knowingly permitting the deposit of waste at the site between 1 October 2019 and 1 May 2020, and 2) knowingly permitting the operation of the illegal waste site between 1 October and 14 April 2022. He was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court to a concurrent sentence of 20 months’ imprisonment suspended for 18 months. A Court Order requires him to remove all the waste from the land by September 2025.
- Marc Greenfield, aged 46 of Fosse Road, Brough, pleaded guilty to knowingly permitting the operation of the illegal waste site between 1 October 2019 and 14 April 2022. He was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court to 19 months imprisonment suspended for 18 months. A Court Order requires him to remove all the waste from the land by September 2025.
Sentence issued to the transport company on Friday 8 August 2025 at Nottingham Crown Court:
- Fletcher Plant Limited pleaded not guilty but was found guilty in June 2024 after a trial of failing to comply with the waste duty of care between 1 October 2019 and 1 May 2020. The company was fined £80,000, ordered to pay costs of £50,000 and received a confiscation order of £37,587.13.