A man has been jailed for illegally storing waste in a warehouse, leading to a fire. The incident caused major disruptions and raised serious environmental concerns.
Margate: A man from Devon has been jailed for illegally storing waste in a warehouse. David Weeks, from Totnes, leased a building where he kept thousands of bales of waste. This attracted flies and rats, causing a serious problem.
Weeks signed a one-year lease in early 2017. By spring, residents noticed swarms of flies near the warehouse. Thanet District Council contacted the Environment Agency (EA) to investigate.
The EA discovered large amounts of waste inside the building on Westwood Business Park. After Weeks signed the lease, trucks began arriving, unloading thousands of waste blocks.
Weeks hired OMC Outdoor Maintenance Company, run by Lee Brookes, to manage the site. He claimed to the EA that he was acting for two companies interested in an energy-from-waste plant.
Judge Simon Taylor KC learned that waste was sent from legal sites in Hampshire and Hertfordshire to be stored illegally in Kent. Neither Weeks nor Brookes had the necessary environmental permit.
In 2017 and 2018, both men made excuses to the EA about clearing the waste. On September 18, 2018, the warehouse caught fire. Kent Fire and Rescue fought the blaze for 25 days, causing major disruptions.
Nearly three years later, the new owner finally removed the remaining rubbish. The EA noted that Weeks and Brookes were uncooperative during the investigation.
Matt Higginson from the EA said both men profited from the illegal waste storage. They avoided the costs of obtaining a permit, which could have prevented the fire.
Weeks, 55, received a 16-month suspended prison sentence and must pay costs. He also has to complete unpaid work and wear an electronic tag for two months.
Brookes, 49, was sentenced to four months suspended prison time and must also complete unpaid work. Both men pleaded guilty to running the waste operation without a permit.
DW Land Ltd and OMC Outdoor Maintenance Company are no longer in business.
