A County Durham scrap man has been hit with a fine after he failed to produce a licence by a neighbourhood warden, a court heard. 

Anthony Sawley of Quinn Crescent in Wingate was hit with the £600 fine after last year he was unable to produce his waste carriers licence to a warden whilst in Spennymoor.

A Durham County Council neighbourhood warden spotted a van registered to 40-year-old Mr Sawley loaded with scrap metal and so ordered him to produce documentation which is required by the Environment Agency as well as the council itself.

A section 34 notice was issued by the warden also required Mr Sawley to produce waste receipts for the period of May 30, 2023, to December 2023 in an attempt to see if the scrap was being disposed of correctly.

However, following two penalty notices of which Mr Sawley did not pay, the case was taken to Peterlee Magistrates Court.

Mr Sawley pleaded guilty to failing to produce the waste carriers licence and failing to produce the receipts and was fined £120 for each offence.

He was also ordered to pay costs of £330 and a £48 victim surcharge.

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Belinda Snow, senior neighbourhood warden manager at Durham County Council, said: "It’s incredibly important that anyone involved in the transfer of waste has the correct licences in place and can produce receipts to demonstrate where the waste is being taken from and to.

"This helps to ensure waste is being disposed of correctly and reduces fly-tipping, which has a damaging impact on our communities and environment."

“We take such matters seriously, but prosecution is always a last resort, and I would encourage waste carriers operating in County Durham to get in touch if they have any questions about the documentation required.”