Prison for illegal tyre dump

Selby Magistrates Court has doled out a 12 month prison sentence to Paul Ketteridge from Leeds for the illegal dumping of thousands of tyres at a Yorkshire airfield and other locations. Ketteridge admitted to two waste offences in relation to Tockwith Airfield, and was found guilty after a trial on a charge relating to fly tipping at Goodmanham near Market Weighton. He also admitted three further waste offences in relation to thousands of tyres dumped in Bramham. At the same hearing, Eco Terra Tyres Ltd of Dringthorpe also admitted four waste charges relating to tyres at Tockwith airfield, and was fined £400 in total. The magistrates accepted the company had no assets.

Environment Agency officers visited Tockwith Airfield in February 2010 after receiving complaints, and found around 40,000 tyres stored at the unlicensed site. These were traced to Eco Terra Tyres and company director Ketteridge, who rented the site. Initially Ketteridge explained that the tyres came from the airfield and he was removing them, however during four Environment Agency visits to the site between 26 March 2010 and 13 April 2010, officers saw tyres being unloaded from vehicles at the site. Despite promises from Ketteridge to remove tyres from the site, subsequent inspections showed this was not done.

In addition to the tyres at Tockwith Airfield, Environment Agency officers found tyres linked to Ketteridge at a location in York and at the Eco Terra Tyres director’s own home. He was also observed dumping tyres into a wood in Market Weighton.

In passing sentence, the court said the seriousness of these matters could not be overstated. “The seriousness of the offences lead us to the conclusion that only an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate,” said a court representative. Speaking after the case, environmental crime officer for the Environment Agency Mike Robotham added: “Investigations like this are notoriously difficult and time consuming. Fortunately, the expertise and persistence of the investigating team meant we could gather enough evidence to demonstrate the scale of Mr. Ketteridge’s illegal activities.

“We worked very closely with Leeds City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council on this investigation, and it was thanks to a tip-off from a member of the public that we were able to get crucial evidence,” Robotham continued. “We want this case to serve as a warning to other operators who may be considering disposing of their waste tyres illegally. We will always do what we can to catch those responsible.”