A PENSIONER has been hit with a £1200 fine for illegally storing waste near his home.

Ivor Salter, 77, who lives in the Otterford Caravan Park in Culmhead, was ordered to pay two £600 fines plus costs after he failed to comply with an order to remove waste from his land.

Taunton Magistrates Court heard how although Salter had the right to store scrap metal and secured waste on his land, Environment Agency officers discovered discarded batteries, gas bottles, tyres and rubble.

Salter was issued a notice to remove the waste - which he defied - and admitted his failure to comply with the order to magistrates. The Environment Agency said the site had now been “virtually cleared” of waste.

Chris Lawson, from the Environment Agency, said following the case: “Waste exemptions have strict limits and conditions that must be complied with to protect the environment. If we issue a notice to clear waste from a site and you fail to comply, you risk prosecution, a fine and a criminal record.”

In 2014 Salter was found guilty of attempting to buy ‘stolen metal’ from undercover police officers and convicted.

Salter was handed down a suspended prison sentence, ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and told to pay £1,124.06 under a confiscation order.

His defence lawyer admitted he had committed offences in the past, but that he had not been put before a court since 1983, prior to the 2014 trial.

The verdict resulted in Salter winding down his then business, I. J. Salter Metals.

In 2017 Salter applied to the now wound-up Taunton Deane Borough Council for a scrap metal license. The council said in his application, Salter disclosed seven previous convictions for handling stolen goods, all associated with the same event.

Police opposed the issuing of a new license and Salter has served a notice of refusal. On appeal the decision was put to a committee, which determined Salter was suitable to be in possession of a license, and the committee recommended it should be granted on the condition any metal received by Salter should be left untouched for 72 hours.