Tonnes of illegal waste cleared from West Yorkshire site

Tonnes of illegal waste cleared from West Yorkshire site
An illegal waste site in West Yorkshire has been cleared of multiple tonnes of rubbish following successful court action brought by the Environment Agency.
In April this year Andrew Leadbeater, 57, pleaded guilty to two charges relating to waste offences at the site in Wyke Lane, Wyke, Bradford and was ordered by West Yorkshire Magistrates’ court to clear the site of rubbish by 17 June.
Complaints about fly tipping and burning at the site were first made to the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council in 2023.
During a visit by the council in June 2023, Leadbeater said some of the waste had been fly-tipped on his land, and admitted the burning. He said he would stop burning, and arrange for the site to be cleared.
In June the following year, Leadbeater contacted the council to complain that fly-tipping had taken place on his land. The council visited and saw a significant amount of waste and referred it to the Environment Agency.
Officers later spoke with Leadbeater, who said he was aware of the waste, but didn’t know who had deposited it. He said he’d tried to secure the site and agreed to remove the waste as a matter of urgency.
Follow up visits in November 2024 and March 2025 revealed no waste had been remove and the Environment Agency issued a notice requiring Leadbeater to clear all waste from the land by 22 September, 2025. This was not complied with. Leadbeater also failed to attend an interview with the Environment Agency in October 2025.
Leadbetter was charged with operating a waste site without an environmental permit and failing to comply with a notice from the Environment Agency to clear the waste following an investigation.
He was given two months to clear the waste which included fire-damaged trailers and mixed household waste, alongside a 12-month conditional discharge and £6,067.50 in costs.
Ben Hocking, Area Environment Manager for the Environment Agency in Yorkshire, said:
Illegal waste operations like this have a negative impact on residents’ lives and I’m pleased this site has now been fully cleared.
This is an example of how the Environment Agency is cracking down on waste crime across the sector and will always take action against those who break the law.
It is important that anyone who has information about unlawful waste activity reports it to us as soon as possible so we can investigate and hold perpetrators to account.
The Environment Agency is stepping up its action on waste crime as part of its new 10 Point Plan
Building on existing work and partnerships, the focused, sustained programme of action strengthens prevention, improves detection and delivers more consistent enforcement.
Background
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Check the public register of waste carriersbefore paying anyone to take waste away. If they are not on the register, they are operating illegally.
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Landowners should ensure they check any empty land and property regularly to make sure it is secure. They can be liable for illegal waste dumped on their land.
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Report suspected waste crime. Every report helps build the picture that enables earlier action. Report illegal dumping, suspicious waste movements or burning, unlicensed operators, or unusually cheap disposal offers to Crimestoppers