Environment Agency | Five men convicted of offences in connection with an illegal waste site at Long Bennington, Lincolnshire, have had confiscation orders totalling £74,751.16.

A Proceeds of Crime Award hearing led by the Environment Agency was concluded at Nottingham Crown Court.

Waste broker and dealer Robert Malone was fined £1,165.00 and received a confiscation order of £45,948.

Daniel Lippitt, an operator who deposited waste at the site, received a confiscation order of £10,000.

Luke Woodward and Sonial Surpal, lorry drivers who deposited waste at the site, received confiscation orders of £1,111.61 and £16,511.55 respectively.

Site operative Nathan Jones received a confiscation order of £1,180.

A total of 12 people were found guilty in 2024 of waste crime charges relating to a site at Fen Lane, Long Bennington. Lorry-loads of shredded waste were regularly burnt on land close to people’s homes. Seven defendants received custodial sentences and four received suspended sentences, while at the hearing the remaining defendant was also fined.

In addition, in August 2025 transport company Fletcher Plant Limited were sentenced after being found guilty of failing their duty of care to establish that the site they delivered waste to was operating legally.

As the company received a confiscation order of £37,587.13, the overall Proceeds of Crime total secured by the Environment Agency now stands at £112,338.29. There is still more to come from key players in the case.

The Environment Agency will now bring a Proceeds of Crime Award hearing against the main offenders, family of three Paul, Judith, and Joshua Canner, who ran the illegal waste site. This hearing will also include landowners Marc Greenfield,46, of Fosse Road, Brough and James Baggaley, 39, of Back Lane, Foston who have been ordered to remove the remaining waste from the site.

Security Industry Authority | A man has been convicted of fraud after SIA investigators found him working as a door supervisor with a cloned licence.

Adedoyin Ajanaku pleaded guilty to an offence under Section 2 and an offence under Section 6 of the Fraud Act 2006 at Bromley Magistrates Court. He was ordered to pay a fine of £80, a victim surcharge of £32, and prosecution costs of £350, totalling £462.

Mr. Ajanaku was discovered working as a door supervisor by SIA investigation officers during a routine inspection at a venue in Islington, presenting what appeared to be an SIA licence card.

During the inspection, the officers were able to establish that although the photograph on the card was a good likeness for Mr. Ajanaku, it did not match the image held by the SIA. Furthermore, the licence number had been cancelled some months earlier after being reported lost.

Mr. Ajanaku used the details from a family member’s licence card to create a counterfeit with his own likeness. He did not engage with the SIA during the investigation and was then summonsed to appear at Bromley Magistrates’ Court as a result.

FIA | The former owner of an Indian restaurant in Watlington has been sentenced for multiple breaches of fire safety law that put lives at risk.

Mr Khalique Choudhury received a six-month custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months. He was also fined £1,700, ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work, and told to pay £6,284 in costs. His conviction followed an earlier hearing at Oxford Magistrates Court on 24 July 2025.

Fire safety inspectors from Oxfordshire County Council’s fire and rescue service visited the premises in March 2024. They found no adequate fire risk assessment, unprotected escape routes, and no working fire alarm or detection system. The restaurant was operating on the ground floor, with staff accommodation provided in bedrooms above.

Following a fire safety audit under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, inspectors judged the premises so dangerous that they immediately prohibited the use of the building for sleeping. Occupants were removed under a prohibition notice until essential safety measures could be put in place.

Mr Choudhury later appeared in court, where he pleaded guilty to four offences under fire safety legislation.

Councillor Jenny Hannaby, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Services and Safety, said: “The vast majority of Oxfordshire businesses operate to the highest standards, rightly protecting their customers, staff and their livelihoods. I’m very grateful to the officers in this case, who are out there every day not only to protect the public, but to also ensure that those businesses following the rules can compete on a level playing field.”

Jody Kerman, Head of Oxfordshire County Council’s Prevention, Protection and Trading Standards teams, added: “Our fire safety inspectors are finding an increasing number of businesses with sleeping accommodation above, where no fire safety measures have been implemented. Business owners have a legal duty to put fire safety measures in place, and as this case shows, we will not hesitate to take action to ensure the safety of occupants, residents and customers.”

The council has reminded business owners and employers that prohibition notices can be issued whenever accommodation fails to meet fire safety standards, and that they have a duty of care to provide safe and suitable premises.

HSE | Qube Containers Limited, which operates on Ipswich docks, has been fined £30,000 after an employee was run over and dragged by a forklift causing serious injuries to his ankle.

The HSE brought the prosecution following its investigation of the incident involving Harvey Addison, from Ipswich, on 11 December 2023.

Mr Addison was unloading cars from shipping containers at the company’s site in Ipswich. He was working with the driver of the forklift truck to empty two small bins, filled with waste packaging, including ratchet straps and chocks, into a larger commercial waste bin.

The two tipping bins had been positioned on a pallet, which was being carried on the forks of the forklift truck.

The 21-year-old was standing on the pallet and as the forklift truck moved some of the straps he fell from the full waste bins, trailing on the floor and getting caught in the wheels of the lift truck. One of these straps got caught on his foot pulling him to the ground and the forklift truck drove over his foot.

Mr Addison remained in hospital for nine days, requiring skin grafts on the outside of his left calf and behind his left thigh just above his knee. He also sustained a broken ankle.

The HSE’s investigation identified that Qube Containers Limited failed to provide equipment that was safe and suitable for the task and failed to risk assess the system of work for emptying the bins – which was found to be unsafe.

In addition, the HSE noted that the traffic routes were not organised in a safe manner, and it was clear from the work practices on site that vehicles and pedestrians circulated in close proximity.

Qube Containers Limited of Forbes Business Centre, Kempson Way, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. They were fined £30,000 and ordered to pay £3,752 in costs.

HSE Inspector Adepeju Sogadgi said: “This injury could easily have been prevented. Employers introducing new processes should make sure they assess the work activity sufficiently and apply effective control measures to minimise the risk. There should be systems in place to ensure safety and the risk should have been considered and documented.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Julian White and paralegal officer Hannah Snelling.

HSE | A construction company and its director have been fined after being found guilty of safety breaches that resulted in a five-year-old child being injured by a falling cast iron pipe.

Sage Homes Limited and its director were convicted for failing to properly assess a foreseeable risk.

The incident occurred on 20 July 2021, during building work on an extension to a house in Totton – a few seconds’ walk from a local primary school. A cast iron pipe fell onto a passing child striking him on the head and fracturing his skull.

The base of the pipe had been broken away by the builder some days before to allow him to excavate into the concrete floor. When a TV cable was freed from the pipe, the top two sections of pipe, weighing over 45kg, fell across the pavement. The cast iron pipe was estimated to date from the 1930s, and both the pipe and the fixings were corroded.

The HSE found that Sage Homes Limited and its director, Jason Scorey, had failed to properly assess what was a foreseeable risk. In giving evidence, Mr Scorey insisted that he could see no need to secure the pipe against the wall.

Sage Homes Limited and Jason Scorey were sentenced for breaches of Section 3(1) and Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, respectively. Mr Scorey received a fine of £1,685, with 45 days’ imprisonment in default, and was ordered to pay costs of £10,436. Sage Homes Limited was fined £15,000. Both Mr Scorey and Sage Homes Limited were also ordered to pay a victim surcharge.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Alexander Ashen said: “Properly assessing risk to workers and members of the public is a vital part of any construction project.

“It would have been a simple and inexpensive task to secure the pipe once it had been broken out at its base. The fact that the construction work was being carried out yards from a school gate at the time parents were collecting their children should have prompted even more care on the part of the duty holder.

“This case should underline to everyone in the building trade that the courts, and HSE, take a failure to follow the regulations extremely seriously. HSE will not hesitate to take action against companies and their directors which do not do all that they should to keep people safe.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Rebecca Schwartz and paralegal officer, Melissa Wardle.

Environment Agency | A Merseyside skip hire boss has been ordered to pay back £250,000 after she was found to have profited from illegal waste crime.

The Environment Agency secured the confiscation order against Patricia Hills, 72, of Redfern Street, Bootle, after she was previously jailed for operating MWM Recycling Ltd illegally.

The confiscation hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act took place at Liverpool Crown Court.

Hills was given three months to pay the order, or she faces up to three years in jail. She was also ordered to pay £25,000 costs.

The hearing followed the conviction of Hills for illegal waste activity. At Liverpool Crown Court in March 2022, she was jailed for a year and banned from being a company director for five years.

In the original case, Mrs. Hills was in control of MWM Recycling Ltd. Following an extensive investigation by the Environment Agency, the company had its environmental permit revoked after a series of breaches and were issued with an enforcement notice to clear the land of waste.

Despite this, waste continued to be stored and illegally burned.

Hills’ son, Mark Hills, 48, of Redfern Street in Bootle, who ran the day-to-day site operations, was jailed for eight months.

The Environment Agency secured a confiscation order against him for £40,000 in December 2024, and this has since been paid.

Security Industry Authority | Daniel Street, the owner of DCS Security Services, has been convicted for failing to hold the required SIA licence for the role.

Mr. Street pleaded guilty to an offence under Section 3 of the Private Security Industry Act 2001 at a hearing in Leicester Magistrates’ Court.

Mr. Street was given a six-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay a £26 victim surcharge and £150 in costs, totalling £176, within 28 days.

SIA investigators had found Mr. Street working as a security operative at a venue in Leicester in November 2024. He denied that he was working there as security at the time, claiming he was only helping people park. Mr. Street, on behalf of DCS Security Services, denied providing security services at this site.

However, the venue’s management later confirmed that DCS Security Services did in fact have a contract to supply security to the venue.

Mr. Street had been the sole owner of DCS Security Services since July 2019, despite never having held an SIA licence as required by law. As a result, he was summonsed to attend Leicester Magistrates’ Court.

FIA | Kent-based Miller Food and Wine Limited has been fined £62,000 after inspectors uncovered serious fire safety breaches, including blocked escape routes and a breach of a Prohibition Notice.

The case arose from a Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) inspection in March 2022, which uncovered significant fire safety issues. Officers identified missing fire precautions and breaches in the building’s compartmentation – problems that posed a serious risk to life should a fire break out.

The business pleaded guilty to ten offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, including failing to comply with restrictions set out in a Prohibition Notice.

The court ordered the company to pay a total of £62,000, broken down as follows:

• £18,000 for the initial failures.
• £24,000 for breaching the Prohibition Notice.
• £18,000 in costs.
• £2,000 victim surcharge.


The ten offences included:

• Failure to assess fire risks (Article 9(1)) – no suitable fire risk assessment, leaving people exposed to serious risk.
• Failure to manage fire precautions (Article 11(1)) – no arrangements for planning, organising, or reviewing fire safety measures.
• Lack of fire detection and alarms (Article 13(1)(a)) – no automatic fire detectors or alarms provided.
• Blocked escape routes (Article 14(1)(a)) – combustible materials obstructed the only staircase, hindering escape.
• Defective fire doors (Article 17(1)) – faulty fire doors risked smoke and flames spreading into escape routes.
• Compromised escape route (Article 8(1)(a)) – a breach in staircase compartmentation would allow fire and smoke to spread.
• Basement fire risks (Article 8(1)) – compartmentation breaches in a basement storing stock and electricals risked rapid fire spread.
• Inadequate emergency lighting (Article 14(2)(h)) – Emergency lighting only covered parts of the premises, leaving some escape routes unlit.
• Breach of Prohibition Notice (Article 31) – the first floor was used in contravention of a Prohibition Notice.
• Use of bedroom in prohibited area (Article 3) – a first-floor bedroom was being used for sleeping, against restrictions.


Daniel Noonan, head of building safety at KFRS, commented: “Public safety is our highest priority. This sentencing serves as a clear reminder to all businesses in the Kent and Medway region about the importance of complying with fire safety legislation.

“Fire safety is a shared responsibility. We’re committed to supporting businesses to ensure the safety of the public by offering advice and guidance. However, where lives are put at risk and there’s a failure in meeting fire safety obligations, we will pursue legal action when necessary.”

Environment Agency | Riley Foods Limited, a Burnley-based slaughterhouse, has been fined £17,000 and ordered to pay £34,365 in costs.

The sentencing followed a prosecution by the Environment Agency after the company was found guilty of illegally polluting a nearby watercourse with blood.

The case began following a report on 23 February 2021 of blood entering a stream next to the company’s premises at Dunnockshaw Farm.

Environment Agency officers attended the site the following day alongside representatives from United Utilities. Investigations confirmed that the pollution was not caused by United Utilities’ sewer infrastructure but instead originated from a private drainage system at Riley Foods Limited.

Evidence gathered showed effluent, including blood, entering the watercourse from a pipe connected to the company’s premises. Water quality testing demonstrated that upstream of the discharge the water was of the highest quality, while downstream it was classified as “bad,” the lowest possible category, posing a serious risk to aquatic life.

The court heard that Riley Foods Limited had a history of poor practice and non-compliance. The Environment Agency had previously issued two formal warning letters. In 2019, United Utilities also issued a site improvement plan highlighting serious concerns about drainage infrastructure and the risk of pollution. Despite this, incidents continued.

In sentencing, the court found that the company had acted deliberately.

Riley Foods Limited was fined £17,000 and ordered to pay costs of £34,365 as well as a victim surcharge of £2,000.

Edie | Almost two-thirds of UK-based SMEs do not understand how to categorise and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions into Scopes 1, 2, and 3, new polling has revealed.

A survey of more than 1,000 senior decision-makers at SMEs, garnering their approach to environmental strategies, disclosures, and investment plans. The primary focus of the research was decarbonisation.

Researchers concluded that, despite a shared, “genuine ambition” to decarbonise and a widespread recognition of the financial benefits of action, most SMEs continue to face resource and capital constraints as well as knowledge gaps.

Only 13% of the businesses surveyed have made public commitments to net-zero by 2050 or sooner, the UK’s legally binding long-term climate target, and backed these pledges up with formal measures.

This proportion remains unchanged year-on-year. However, it tripled between 2023 and 2024.

Extrapolating the 2025 findings across the whole UK economy, 13% is equivalent to around 715,000 SMEs.

In assessing the credibility of “green” or “net-zero” targets, the researchers looked at whether SMEs calculate and disclose emissions in line with the GHG Protocol’s guidance.

Concerningly, the majority (58%) of the business leaders surveyed claim they have never heard of the definitions of Scope 1 (operational), Scope 2 (power-related), and Scope 3 (indirect) emissions.

These definitions form the basic framework of the GHG Protocol, which, in turn, is foundational to the forthcoming UK and EU sustainability reporting standards.

2026 is set to be a landmark year for changes to sustainability reporting standards across Europe.

The UK Government is consulting on the design of its Sustainability Reporting Standards (SRS) until 17 September 2025, with a view to publishing finalised standards in 2026. It will align with the International Sustainability Standards Board’s (ISSB) first two standards, published in June 2023. This should ease reporting burdens for businesses operating and trading internationally.

The UK SRS will layer over existing climate risk reporting requirements for large UK businesses, introduced in 2022.

UK businesses with operations and/or sales in Europe are also preparing for the rollout of the EU’s new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).

Policymakers have delayed the introduction of the Directives by one year. They have also reduced the scope of both CSRD and CSDDD in a bid to ease the burden on SMEs. While SMEs are not directly impacted, they will likely receive additional disclosure requests from their large clients and customers.

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