Dumping waste at two service stations’ jet washes has resulted in a van driver being ordered to pay £1,040 by York Magistrates.

On 9 February 2017, Nathan Lofthouse, (aged 28 of Askham Croft, York) used a hand-held jet wash at the Inner Space Station, Hull Road, York, to clean his trailer. Having spent over an hour there, he drove away leaving behind bagged and loose wood and rubble, which took the business over an hour to clear away.

On 12 February 2017, Nathan Lofthouse visited the Co-op Texaco service station, Boroughbridge Road, York in a white Ford Luton van, to use their jet wash because of a spillage of paint in the back. He was seen on CCTV removing tins of paint, buckets and a metal box and put them by the jet wash. Mr Lofthouse spent two hours at the jet wash, during which time he was asked twice to make sure he removed the waste. Upon leaving, Mr Lofthouse left the waste behind.

Mr Lofthouse was interviewed about the two fly tipping offences by council officers in April 2017. He admitted both, claiming he had left the waste at the Inner Space Station by accident, whilst he said his visit to the Co-op Texaco garage was an emergency as he had been distracted by the paint spillage.

Mr Lofthouse was asked to pay a fixed penalty notice however after several reminders, they remained unpaid.

On Tuesday 2 January 2018, Mr Lofthouse attended York Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to both offences. He was sentenced to a total fine of £410 for both offences, costs of £600 and a court surcharge of £30.

In court, Mr Lofthouse claimed that both offences were an oversight by him, that he went back after a few days, and that as everything had been cleared away he’d lost money as some items were valuable.

Cllr Andrew Waller, interim deputy leader and executive member for the environment, said: “Dumping waste on a business’s property for them to bear the cost of cleaning up is unacceptable. That some of the materials were contaminants makes it worse.

“For information on commercial waste go to www.york.gov.uk/waste or the Environment Agency at www.gov.uk/guidance/access-the-public-register-for-environmental-information. To report fly-tipping or illegal waste disposal please contact neo.york.gov.uk .”