A 35-year-old man from Bradford has been ordered to pay £3,116.80 after pleading guilty to operating as an illegal waste carrier in a case heard at Nottingham Magistrates Court.

Caught in road-stop sting

Andrew Clarke of Southcroft Avenue, Birkenshaw, Bradford, was stopped at a multi-agency road stop operation on the A614 at Ollerton, Nottinghamshire, on 25 May 2018. A search of his transit van revealed he was carrying waste carpet.

Environment Agency officers then carried out a check on the public register, which showed the defendant did not have the required waste carrier registration. He was given 10 days to obtain the necessary paperwork or face prosecution.

Failed to register

However, a subsequent systems check by Environment Agency officials in August 2018 showed the defendant had failed to register as a waste carrier in his name within the 10-day period. He had registered in the name of a partnership 20 days after the offence.

The case was heard at Nottingham Magistrates on 2 January 2019. He was fined £300 and ordered to pay costs of £2,816.80.

Penalties over £3,000

The defendant, who had been fitting out a shop in Arnold, Nottingham, told officials that he was not being paid to remove the waste and that he was not aware he needed to be registered.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said:

This case demonstrates how seriously we take illegal waste crime. We take robust enforcement action against those who deliberately ignore the law to protect communities and the environment.

The management and disposal of waste as a commercial enterprise is subject to a strict statutory regime and the relevant piece of legislation for the purpose of this case is the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989. The act makes it a criminal offence for a person to transport controlled waste to or from any place in the United Kingdom, with a view for profit, if they do not possess the necessary Waste Carrier Licence.

The UK has today (25 January 2019) signed the text of an agreement with Switzerland on the international carriage of passengers and goods by road.

The agreement will ensure UK hauliers and commercial bus drivers can continue to drive to, from and through, Switzerland after the UK leaves the EU, as they do now. This is one of the positive steps the UK government is taking to maintain our relationship and cooperation with Switzerland as we exit the EU. These measures ensure the continuity of the effects of our currently existing international treaties.

Published 25 January 2019

Globally, 250 million children under the age of five are estimated to be at risk of stunted growth and poor development. The new UK aid funded research programme will investigate what works on a global scale to tackle malnutrition and poor physical, social, emotional and mental development.

The programme will produce evidence of what works in countries such as Rwanda, Jordan and Tanzania, providing evidence which can benefit millions of children across developing countries.

She made the announcement to establish a programme of research across Africa, Asia and the Middle East during the New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern’s trip to London.

New Zealand is considering partnering with the UK to extend it to the Pacific region, making it a truly global initiative.

The UK has committed to invest £20.5 million over five years in the programme to understand how best to unlock children’s potential globally.

This partnership demonstrates the UK’s and New Zealand’s shared ambition to work together on the most important development challenges and reflects our determination to deliver the Global Goals. Global Goal 4.2 is to ensure that, by 2030, all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development.

During Prime Minister Ardern’s visit, she and the Prime Minister, Theresa May, also agreed to prioritise a UK-NZ Free Trade Agreement (FTA), as well as signing a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) to enable the continuity of goods standards. There were also announcements made on co-locating High Commissions in the Pacific and continued co-operation on tackling climate change.

Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes and the French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner have today (25 January) visited the Joint Co-ordination and Information Centre (CCIC) in Calais to see first-hand some of the work that is being done to tackle attempts to cross the Channel illegally via small boats.

The visit follows the agreement on 24 January between the Home Secretary and the Interior Minister of a joint action plan that builds on the ongoing co-operation between the two nations and includes over £6 million (€7m) investment in new security equipment, increased CCTV coverage of beaches and ports, air surveillance and shared intelligence as well as a mutual commitment to conduct return operations as quickly as possible under international and domestic laws.

The Immigration Minister, Caroline Nokes said:

The UK and France have long worked closely together to tackle the threat posed by cross border crime. The CCIC is one of a series of measures that enhances that collaboration and forms part of our long-term commitment to tackle the complex issue of illegal cross channel migration.

The real-time intelligence resulting from that close co-operation has already enabled the French authorities to stop migrants and arrest suspected facilitators on the beaches of northern France prior to departure.

The centre, which became operational in November last year, was formally opened by the Immigration Minister and the Interior Minister during the visit. It sees Border Force working closely alongside Police Aux Frontieres as part of a 24/7 operation to:

• assist with preventing illegal attempts to cross the shared border
• facilitate the circulation of information between UK and French agencies to combat cross-border criminality
• work on the prevention of threats to public order on cross-border infrastructure
• provide analysis of cross-Channel traffic flows

Importantly, the CCIC also helps with the identification, prosecution and dismantling of criminal gangs involved in people smuggling and wider cross border crime.

The opening of the CCIC forms part of the commitments of the Sandhurst Treaty, signed by the Prime Minister and President Macron in January 2018. The Sandhurst Treaty is a bilateral agreement between the UK and France which reinforces the commitment of both sides to work together on border security issues.

Other law enforcement partners with a presence at the CCIC include Kent Police, National Crime Agency, Home Office Immigration Enforcement officers, and French authorities.