A FARMER has been left with a bill for almost £5,000 after pleading guilty to illegally storing and setting fire to controlled waste on his land.

The fire, which was filmed by a National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter crew, left his ground badly scorched and partially destroyed items were left strewn on Holdensfield Farm, Yarm, in December 2016.

Charles Roderick Pickering, of Castle Levington, near Yarm, was charged with two waste offences relating to the fire in December last year, when he appeared before Teesside Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

The 71-year-old admitted both allegations – knowingly permitting the deposit of controlled waste and allowing the controlled waste to be incinerated without a permit – brought by the Environment Agency and was handed a £3,000 fine with £1,729.44 costs and £170 victim surcharge.

The court heard how the NPAS helicopter crew observed the fire, which was giving off a large plume of black smoke.

Footage showed the fire was unattended and included materials such as uPVC door and window frames, wood, wheelie bins, a fridge and shower trays over an area of 50 metres square.

The fire was 200m away from a large housing estate to the north, 200m from HMP Kirklevington Grange to the west, 200m from two busy A roads servicing Yarm and immediately adjacent to a golf driving range.

When Environment Agency Officers attended the site on December 19 last year, they found the burned and partially burned waste also included televisions, carpet, mattresses, kitchen units and garden waste.

There was also an area of unburnt waste consisting of various packaging materials, paint tins and wooden pallets.

Pickering explained that he had allowed a man, whom he only knew by first name, to bring on some of the waste at no charge, with the rest being from his own farm.

The defendant admitted he had started the fire, stating he had done it when he considered the wind conditions suitable.

In January, Pickering was interviewed under caution by officers from the Environment Agency.

The court heard that the farmer produced an invoice and waste transfer notes showing that some of the burnt materials had been removed from the farm.

In mitigation, Darren Brown, of Hewitts Solicitors, said his client accepted responsibility for his wrong doing and had only burnt waste when the wind blew away from local housing estate and prison.

The court was also told that Pickering had now removed the waste at his expense.

Speaking after the court case, Environment Agency spokesperson Rachael Caldwell said: “Ignorance is not an excuse for flouting environmental laws. Not only did Pickering unlawfully accept controlled waste onto his farm, he put the health of the local community and environment in danger by setting fire to it, producing a flume of smoke and fumes.

“This case demonstrates the need for everyone to take their environmental responsibilities seriously. Failure to do so can have an immediate impact on people around you and pollute the environment for future generations.”