A mother and son who ran a waste yard where rubbish was illegally stored and burned will now face a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing.
On Tuesday (March 22) Patricia and Mark Hills both received prison sentences after they admitted a number of waste crime offences in relation to the management of MWM Recycling Ltd in Kirkdale.
Patricia Hills, 69, was jailed for one year and her son Mark, 44, was jailed for eight months. The Environment Agency (EA) said that Patricia Hills controlled MWM Recycling Ltd and that her son was responsible for its day-to-day running.
READ MORE: Mother and son ran site where waste was burned illegally
The EA has now confirmed to the ECHO that the mother and son, both of Aughton in West Lancashire, will face a Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing, when the state will attempt to confiscate assets it thinks are linked to crime. A timetable for the hearing has not yet been set.
The Hills were jailed for their part in the running of MWM Recycling Ltd, which was raided by the police and EA in August 2018. Two men were arrested during the raid and a number of vehicles seized.
The EA said that they were forced to revoke MWM's environmental permit due to a number of breaches. But despite the warnings and advice offered waste continued to be stored and illegally burnt at the Redfern Street site.
Patricia Hills pleaded guilty to five offences, including failing to comply with environmental permit conditions and knowingly permitting the deposit of controlled waste. Marks Hills pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to comply with environmental permit conditions.
On Tuesday Ashleigh Bennington, from the EA, said: “The Environment Agency is committed to taking robust enforcement action against those who break the law, to protect communities and the environment.
“In this case, Patricia and Mark Hills were offered extensive advice and guidance from Environment Agency officers but despite this, failed to clear the Redfern Street site of waste, and even accepted further waste when they did not have a permit to do so. This caused unacceptable risk the local community and environment.
“Sites like this, undercut legitimate businesses and risk harming the environment. That’s why, we are determined to make life hard for criminals and support legitimate business by disrupting and stopping waste offenders.
“Members of the public can report waste crime to our 24/7 incident hotline on 0800 807060, waste crime can also be reported anonymously via Crimestoppers online or on 0800 555111.”
