Suspended jail terms for father and son who flouted waste rules
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-18)

The Environment Agency has successfully prosecuted a father and son for illegally importing, processing and burning waste at 2 sites near Draycott, Derbyshire.

- Environment Agency investigation into Derbyshire waste sites ends in prosecution
- Court told father and son avoided substantial permitting and waste disposal charges
- Hearing at Derby Crown Court on Wednesday 12 November 2025
At Derby Crown Court on Wednesday 12 November 2025, Keith Mrvik, 63, and his son Leon Mrvik, 37, were each given suspended prison sentences.

Mrvik senior, of Cole Lane, Borrowash, Derbyshire, was sentenced to 55 and 45 weeks in prison to run concurrently. These orders were suspended for 22 months. He was also ordered to do 140 hours of unpaid work.

His son Leon, of Draycott House Farm, was sentenced to 58 and 45 weeks in prison to run concurrently. These orders were suspended for 22 months. He was also ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work.

Both men will appear in court again next year at proceeds of crime hearings.

The duo admitted importing waste between 4 November 2019 and 23 December 2021 at Draycott House Farm and between 25 April 2020 and 12 August 2021 at Ayrshire Fields Farm.

The court heard the Mrviks processed the waste including burning it on the sites despite not having an Environmental Permit to do so. This avoided substantial permitting and waste disposal charges.

The properties were owned by the Mrviks who at the time of the offending were involved in skip hire, waste transfer and scrap metal through KLM Skip Hire.

Gun shots fired at EA drone

Environment Agency officers visited the sites in 2020 and 2021. After failing to locate the residents a drone was flown over Draycott House Farm but the flight was abruptly terminated due to gunshots being fired at the drone.

At Draycott House Farm officers found evidence that waste material was being imported and stored on site including hardcore, bricks and concrete, as well as some sheets of asbestos cement.

Skips on the site had mixed waste containing pallets, cardboard builder’s sacks and other mixed household items, and yellow biohazard bags full of waste.

Officers also found a large bonfire with milk bottles, bricks, metal pipes, tin cans and bed springs.

Further waste was found around the site including large builders bags of waste wires and a pile of at least 10 metal sinks stored with other associated plumbing waste including taps and pipes.

Officers also attended Ayreshire Fields Farm where they saw mixed waste being stored in skips bearing the name KLM containing mixtures of garden, construction and household waste.

Large bonfire of waste discovered

A large pile of household waste had been stacked up in a ‘bonfire’. This waste included mattresses, boxes, furniture, plant pots, children’s toys, lampshades and several other items.

There was a large pile of ashes next to this waste and within the ashes were the remains a fan, cups, tin cans, melted plastic and bed springs.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said:

The Environment Agency takes its responsibility to protect people and the environment seriously.

These sites posed a significant environmental threat due to the high risk of fire and potentially significant impact to local communities and amenities.

The Environment Agency will pursue anyone who fails to uphold the law or protect nature and will continue to press for the strongest possible penalties.

If anyone is suspicious of waste activities they should call our 24/7 hotline on xx-xxxx-xxxx or Crimestoppers anonymously and in confidence on xx-xxxx-xxxx.

Background

Charges: Keith Mrvik and Leon Mrvik between 4 November 2019 and 23 December 2021 at Draycott House Farm (title numbers DY527121 and DY527123) did operate a regulated facility, namely a waste operation for the deposit, treatment and storage of waste, except under and to the extent authorised by an environmental permit contrary to Regulations 12 and 38(1)(a) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

Keith Mrvik and Leon Mrvik between 25 April 2020 and 12 August 2021 at Ayrshire Farm Fields, did operate a regulated facility, namely a waste operation for the deposit, treatment and storage of waste, except under and to the extent authorised by an environmental permit contrary to Regulations 12 and 38(1)(a) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

Additional info:

The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 govern the regulation of sites carrying on waste recycling and recovery operations.

Almost all sites which accept waste, including those carrying out sorting, recovery, recycling and storage operations, can only lawfully operate under an environmental permit.

Regulation 12(1)(a) EPR makes it clear that a person must not operate a “regulated facility” unless it is covered by the terms of an environmental permit issued by the Environment Agency.

By virtue of Regulation 8 a “regulated facility” will include, amongst other things, a “waste operation”.