AN ARLESEY landowner who illegally burned waste on his land was fined yesterday (Wednesday), following a trial.

Steven Huckle illegally burned the items, which included carpet, packaging, furniture, metal, plastic, mattress springs, cassette tapes and wood shavings. Paperwork addressed to a Mrs J Huckle was also found on the fire, Bedford Magistrates’ Court heard.

The Stotfold Road resident had been advised in January 2008 by the Environment Agency not to burn waste or allow anyone to deposit waste on his land after two incidents in 2007.

Huckle, who admitted burning the waste but pleaded not guilty to allowing the waste to be dumped there, used the defence that he did not know anyone named Mrs J Huckle.

He said he had given permission a couple of weeks before to someone he had met a few times to deposit fence panels and posts on his land, but later discovered that different waste had been deposited.

But the environment officer said the gate to the site was padlocked with a chain and it would have been very difficult for a vehicle to gain access to the site other than through the gate.

Huckle was found guilty of the additional offence as well as the one he had admitted, and fined �150 and ordered to pay �500 costs.

After the hearing, Environment Agency officer Catherine MacDougall, said: “This is a good example to the public that we deal with environmental offences in a fair but firm manner.

“The defendant had been advised in the past by us about the law relating to collection, recovery and disposal of controlled waste.”