Court fines Lincolnshire cousins following waste crime probe

Court fines Lincolnshire cousins following waste crime probe
Environment Agency investigation ends in prosecutions of 2 cousins who are ordered to pay fines and costs totalling nearly £7,000.
The Environment Agency has successfully prosecuted 2 Lincolnshire farmers who broke waste regulations by starting a waste fire and constructing an area of hardstanding.
Fines and costs totalling nearly £7,000 were imposed on 2 cousins from North Owersby near Market Rasen, who admitted the offences at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on Monday 27 July 2026.
Ian Wilmot, 61, of Hall Farm, was ordered to pay a total of £3,990.55 made up of a £792 fine, surcharge of £316.80 and costs of £2,881.75.
Mark Wilmot, 66, of Bramwil Hall Farm, was given a 15-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay a total of £2,820.25 made up of a £26 surcharge and ordered to pay costs of £2794.25.
The court was told that surveillance by Environment Agency officers alerted them to the removal of waste from one farm to another in the Market Rasen area.
This led the officers to Hall Farm where it was found that waste had been deposited. This included brick rubble contaminated by wood, plastics, plasterboard and roofing felt.
One of the officers also witnessed a fire on the site which included waste material.
When interviewed, Mark Wilmot admitted he had transferred the waste material from a nearby farm to that of his cousin’s Ian.
Though he had a waste carrier’s licence, Mark Wilmot did not check there was an environmental permit in place. He was also asked to provide relevant waste transfer notes for the material transferred but none were forthcoming.
Peter Stark, Enforcement team leader for the Environment Agency in Lincolnshire and Northants, said:
We will not tolerate waste crime and are actively targeting illegal waste activities across Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire as part of a nationwide crackdown.
Farmers and landowners need to be aware of the environmental regulations and how to comply as we will not hesitate action against those who are breaking the law.
We will provide advice and guidance to people before they start any waste activities and there is guidance on our website.
Anyone who suspects someone is operating illegally can call the Environment Agency 24/7 on 0800 80 70 60 or report it anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
This action builds on The Environment Agency’s 10 Point Plan which sets out a tougher approach to tackling waste crime, including acting earlier on larger sites, making greater use of enforcement powers and increasing public transparency around illegal waste activity.
More Information on Environment Agency policy here.
The Charges
Ian Wilmot pleaded guilty to:
Between 27 June 2023 and 7 July 2023 at Hall Farm, North Owersby you operated a regulated facility, namely a waste operation for the deposit, treatment and storage of mixed waste, except under and to the extent authorised by an environmental permit contrary to Regulations 12(1) and 38(1)(a) of the Environmental Permitting (England & Wales) Regulations 2016.
Mark Wilmot pleaded guilty to:
Between 27 June 2023 and 7 July 2023 you knowingly caused the deposit of controlled waste namely a quantity of mixed waste in or on land at Hall Farm, North Owersby when there was no environmental permit in force authorising such a deposit contrary to section 33(1)(a) and (6) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 - Between 27 June 2023 and 7 July 2023 you failed to comply with the duty of care imposed by section 34(1)(c)(ii) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in that, being a person that disposes of controlled waste, namely, a quantity of mixed waste, did fail to take such measures as were reasonable in the circumstances to secure that, on transfer of the waste, that there was such a written description of the waste as to enable other persons to avoid any contravention of section 33 contrary to section 34(1)(c)(ii) and (6) Environmental Protection Act 1990.