Sunderland business fined for breaching environmental legislation

A building company has been fined for breaching environmental legislation by burning waste illegally on Bonfire Night.

Sunderland Magistrates Court ordered Elm Builders to pay £2,000 for the blaze, which took place on November 5th 2008.

Craig Burman, prosecuting for the Environment Agency, told the court that the skip hire firm's environmental permit for its unit at Patterson South Industrial Estate prohibits the burning of waste.

The permit requires the company to inform the agency immediately if there is a fire.

However, Mr Burman said that when the fire service attended a blaze that was reported at the site, it was told the flames were a bonfire for staff.

It was claimed that the station had been notified in advance, although firefighters had no record of this.

Having left the flames to burn, they returned to the scene later in the evening and spent two hours putting out the fire.

Written by Lauren Steadman