Asbestos news
07/09/2007

Illegal fly-tipping ends in fine

A skip firm has been fined after being found guilty of fly-tipping asbestos waste at an industrial estate in the West Midlands.

The Southam-based company was slapped with a £1,200 penalty and was warned about their future conduct after pleading guilty to the offence at Coventry Magistrates Court.

Their actions came to light after officers from an environmental crime unit paid a visit to the industrial estate and discovered that significant amounts of deadly asbestos had been dumped illegally.

The disposal of asbestos has been strictly controlled for many years due to it's ability to cause serious industrial illnesses such as emphysema, asbestosis, pleural plaques and mesothelioma.

A local council spokeswoman commented on the issue of fly-tipping, saying, "All companies have a legal responsibility to dispose of their waste responsibly, and the city council will take strong action against companies who disregard this."

It is not known if anyone working on the industrial estate has developed an asbestos-related disease as a result of the fly-tipping and so is subsequently planning to make a no win, no fee compensation claim with a personal injury solicitor.