Thurso man fined over £12,000 after illegally dumping rubbish during Covid pandemic

A man from Thurso has been ordered to pay more than £12,000 after illegally dumping waste during the Covid-19 lockdowns.

James Beresford was issued with a civil penalty of £12,327 by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) following an investigation into reports that controlled waste had been dumped on the land in Weydale between March 2020 and May 2021.

In addition, SEPA is recovering investigation costs of £3,698.12.

During the investigation, SEPA officers identified other individuals through documents found in the waste and confirmed they had paid him to collect and dispose of their rubbish.

Members of the public reported seeing Beresford regularly dumping waste at the site and vehicles were reportedly seen arriving loaded with waste and leaving empty.

The materials included household black bags, furniture, white goods, plasterboard, insulation, carpets, doors, tyres, asbestos sheeting and garden waste.

Vehicles were reportedly seen arriving loaded with waste and leaving empty.

The landowner confirmed no permission had been granted for the dumping, and when officers visited the site in April 2021 the waste remained in place.

SEPA’s scientific assessment concluded that the waste posed environmental risks, including potential harm to terrestrial ecosystems, groundwater and a nearby burn.

The waste is still present at the site.

Stuart Baird, Senior Manager at SEPA, said: “Dumping controlled waste illegally is a serious offence. It can cause significant harm to Scotland’s environment, communities and wildlife, particularly when hazardous materials such as asbestos are involved.

“This penalty demonstrates that SEPA will use its enforcement powers to hold individuals and companies to account. We encourage everyone arranging waste disposal to check that they are using a registered waste carrier and that waste goes to an authorised site.

“Doing so protects our environment and helps avoid the financial and reputational risks of breaking the law.”