Two men prosecuted for dumping waste in village
Source: gov.uk (2025-07-25)

Muddy tracks led to nearby house where excavation work had taken place. Environment Agency prosecution resulted in fines and costs totalling £6,400.

The Environment Agency has successfully prosecuted two men for illegally dumping excavation waste at a site in West Haddon, Northamptonshire.

At Leicester Magistrates Court on Wednesday 23 July 2025, Richard Allen, 59, of Capeleira, Obidos, in Portugal, was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £400 to the victims of the offence.

He was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £2,000 and a victim surcharge of £800.

At a previous hearing, on Wednesday 25 June 2025, David Thomas George Warden, 50, of Welland Avenue, Gartree, Market Harborough, was fined £350 and ordered to pay costs of £500 and a victim surcharge of £350.

Both pleaded guilty to knowingly causing and depositing controlled waste between 24 and 30 April 2024, on land off Ryehills Lane, West Haddon, without the necessary environmental permit.

Both also admitted to charges relating to failing to comply with waste transfer regulations.

Farmer discovered dumped waste

The court was told that officers from the Environment Agency were alerted by a farmer who discovered the dumped waste when looking to graze sheep on the land off Ryehills Lane.

The farmer found that the field had been covered in numerous mounds of excavation waste making it unsuitable for grazing.

Due to the wet weather, muddy tyre tracks leading away from the site led officers to a nearby house where excavation work had taken place.

That property was owned by Richard Allen’s daughter and son-in-law who informed officers that Allen had gained planning permission to build a house in the grounds of their property.

Allen informed the investigation that he had employed Warden’s company Sky CFG to carry out the building works. He also alleged he had gained permission, some three years previously, to dump the top soil on the Ryehills’ site.

However, Allen was unable to name the person from whom he had obtained permission.

The owners of the land confirmed there was no such agreement in place for anyone to deposit waste onto their field. In any event, regardless of whether permission had been granted, there was no environmental permit in place at the site to allow waste to be deposited there.

Both Allen and Warden said they had little knowledge of the environmental regulations despite having experience of waste disposal as part of their day-to-day businesses.

The court was told that some remediation work had taken place at the site albeit most of the soil had been spread across the field and that the land was now fit to graze animals.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said:

This case shows that operators in the waste sector should realise we will not tolerate illegal waste activities.

We will take enforcement action to protect the environment, people and legitimate businesses.

Anyone with suspicions of waste crime can call our incident hotline, xx-xxxx-xxxx, or Crimestoppers, on xx-xxxx-xxxx.

Background information

Charges

Richard Allen

Between 24 April 2023 and 30 April 2023, knowingly cause controlled waste namely excavation waste consisting of sand and soil to be deposited on land off Ryehills Lane, West Haddon when there was not in force an environmental permit authorising such a deposit contrary to section 33(1) (a) and (6) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, as amended.

Between 1 August 2023 and 30 September 2023 failed to comply with the duty of care imposed by section 34(1)(c)(ii) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in that, being a person that is a waste broker of controlled waste, namely, a quantity of excavation waste consisting of sand and soil, did fail to take such measures as were reasonable in the circumstances to secure that, on transfer of the waste, that there was such a written description of the waste as to enable other persons to avoid any contravention of section 33 contrary to section 34(1)(c)(ii) and (6) Environmental Protection Act 1990.

David Thomas George Warden

Between 24 April 2023 and 30 April 2023, did deposit controlled waste namely excavation waste consisting of sand and soil in or on land at Ryehills Lane, West Haddon when there was no environmental permit in force authorising such a deposit contrary to section 33 (1) (a) and (6) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, as amended.

Between 24 April 2023 and 30 April 2023 failed to comply with the duty of care imposed by section 34(1)(c)(ii) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in that, being a person that produces controlled waste, namely, a quantity of excavation waste consisting of sand and soil, did fail to take such measures as were reasonable in the circumstances to secure that, on transfer of the waste, that there was such a written description of the waste as to enable other persons to avoid any contravention of section 33 contrary to section 34(1)(c)(ii) and (6) Environmental Protection Act 1990.