A business owner has been handed a suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay costs of more than £6,000 for waste-related offences following a prosecution brought on by North Somerset Council.

Richard Young has been given a 16-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, during which he must complete 200 hours unpaid work and was also ordered to pay the council's investigation, legal and clean-up costs totalling £6,358.01.

Young was prosecuted for six offences relating to five large-scale fly-tipping incidents at Abbots Pool car park, in Abbots Leigh, Oxleaze Lane in Dundry and a bridleway off Dial Lane, in Felton.

In a case heard at North Somerset Magistrates Court on November 12, Young pleaded guilty to five charges relating to waste duty of care offences and one charge of fly-tipping.

Between July and November of last year, council officers attended five incidents where waste had been fly-tipped and found evidence of where this had come from.

Upon speaking to people whose waste was fly-tipped, it was identified that the vehicle used in each of these incidents had the business name C.Y Landscapes and Garden Maintenance printed on the side.

Further investigation showed that Young operated under this business name and soon after these collections were made, the waste was found fly-tipped in North Somerset.

Welcoming the outcome of the prosecution, the council's executive member for waste and recycling, Bridget Petty, said: “Fly-tipping is completely unacceptable and has a negative impact on our local environment and communities.

"North Somerset Council will investigate all incidents of fly-tipping and will issue fixed penalty notices or prosecute individuals when sufficient evidence is found.

"Residents and businesses are advised to ensure a private contractor disposing of their waste is a licensed waste carrier which is registered with the Environment Agency, which provides them with a receipt for the collection giving the contractor's contact details.

"Also, people should make a note of the vehicle registration used to collect the waste ensures that they can be traced."