Man fined £3k over illegal scrap metal business

A man has been fined £3,000 for operating an illegal scrap metal collection business.

Mark Tapp, of The Rosary in Royal Wootton Bassett, was spotted by Wiltshire Police collecting rubbish and scrap metal from addresses in Swindon.

When questioned, he revealed he worked for the unlicensed Wiltshire Junk Busters, and took collected scrap metal to nearby dealers to illegally trade for cash.

He was found guilty at Swindon Magistrates Court on Friday after a list of transactions made by Mr Tapp provided evidence of the illicit dealings.

Wiltshire Junk Busters had been advertising on social media, offering free rubbish collection and the collection of scrap metal for cash.

However, this was made illegal under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act in 2013.

The vehicle Mr Tapp was driving around residential areas, a White Ford Transit Tipper, was also towing a small trailer behind it.

Both were full of scrap metal items including washing machines, a motorcycle frame, sheet metal, piping and a bed frame.

He was also seen touting for scrap metal collection over a loudspeaker while driving around Pewsey.

Any individuals or businesses which carry waste must register with the Environment Agency. 

All scrap metal dealers should also be subject to background and suitability checks before being issued with a licence.

When investigated by officers from the council, it was found that no waste carrier licence was registered for either Mr Tapp or Wiltshire Junk Busters.

In addition, neither were licensed to trade in scrap metal in Wiltshire.

Councillor Nick Holder said the authority was working hard to stop "rogue traders" from operating in the area.

"Not only is what they are doing illegal, but it could also take business away from our genuine businesses, and put our residents at risk of being fined or prosecuted too.

"As this case shows, we take unlicensed waste and scrap metal collection very seriously, and we will work hard to prosecute offenders."

Mr Holder advised anyone using waste collectors to first obtain their waste carriers license number, vehicle registration, and any waste transfer documents to prevent them from being fined.

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