Castleford fly-tipper breached criminal behaviour order by advertising waste business on Facebook
A convicted fly-tipper breached a criminal behaviour order by advertising a waste disposal business on social media.
Daniel Clayton was arrested after police and council officers discovered he had been touting the illegal operation on Facebook.
Clayton, 31, of School Street, Castleford, was convicted of fly-tipping offences three years ago following investigations by Wakefield Council and Leeds City Council.
The fly-tipping in Wakefield occurred at Oakenshaw Lane in Walton, where a resident witnessed the waste being dumped.
Following a test purchase by council officers, they were led to more waste dumped at Wakefield Road in Oulton.
The vehicles used in each offence were owned by Mr Clayton, who did not have a waste carriers’ licence.
Clayton was given a suspended prison sentence and ordered to do 300 hours of unpaid work for the offences in February 2023.
He was also made the subject of a criminal behaviour order at the time, which prohibited him from collecting, carrying, transporting or depositing waste for a five-year period.
The order also banned him from advertising services to carry or dispose of waste.
Paul Jacques, prosecuting on behalf of Wakefield Council, told Kirklees Magistrates’ Court how council officers received reports that Clayton had advertised waste collection services online in September last year.
Facebook posts for ‘Total Waste Recycling’, which contained Calyton’s mobile phone number, were then found during further investigation.
More posts were found featuring a vehicle and offering to collect and dispose of waste.
Police went to an address in Pontefract last October where he admitted the offences after he was cautioned.
The defendant told the officers had been working with someone else and did not believe he was breaking the law because 12 months had elapsed since the previous offences.
Mr Jacques said: “That is clearly incorrect. Under the criminal behaviour order he was prohibited for a term of five years.”
Mohammed Arif, mitigating, said Clayton had apologised and pleaded guilty to the breach at an early stage.
The solicitor said: “He takes no issue with the case against him.”
Mr Arif said the offence was committed after he had been told by the Environment Agency that he was able to apply for a waste licence.
He said: “His intention was not to set up the business for himself.
“It was going to be a friend that set up the business and he was going to be part of it with his expertise.”
Clayton was fined £80 and ordered to pay court costs of £200.